State Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner pleaded with Homeland Security last month to add courthouses to a list of "sensitive locations" that ICE would avoid. He warned serious consequences would come about if illegals feared that coming to court could lead to deportation. The argument is that witnesses and victims not showing up to testify out of fear of deportation would result in some very bad people getting away with things.

His plea has fallen on deaf ears. Those in the court system say federal agents never used to do this, but since President Trump gave ICE much broader discretion in going after illegals it is occurring regularly. It is continuing to happen even after Rabner's request. One case that pre-dates the Rabner letter was that of Miguel Xicotencatl-Toxqui. He was a victim of road rage. He was also an illegal immigrant. Police showed up at his apartment to take his report, and while talking to him they noted the rental unit was in disrepair. He ends up pleading guilty in court to a non-criminal charge of child neglect for this and was free to go with one year's probation. Suddenly ICE shows up and has him in handcuffs and takes him away.

People who have an issue with ICE's actions will say here was a road rage victim that never should have reported the crime against him for all the trouble he got into. I would say here's a criminal who finally got caught himself. I have a hard time looking at any illegal immigrant as an innocent crime victim when they've committed a crime themselves just by being here.

Does Rabner have a point? Yes, I suppose if you have a heinous murder case and the only witnesses are illegals, it will be very hard to get anyone to testify if ICE is allowed to arrest illegals inside courthouses. Is murder far more serious than sneaking across a border? Of course it is. Yet two wrongs still don't make a right.

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