"If you are planning on loading up the station wagon and taking the kids to Disneyland, the federal government doesn't advise going through Arizona - it's too dangerous and they can't protect you. These signs say to American citizens, the federal government has ceded this area to the drug cartels. Don't come here; we can't protect you."- Texas Representative Ted Poe
The BLM no doubt had good intentions when they posted signs along a major interstate in Arizona, more than 100 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The signs warn travelers the area is unsafe because of "armed criminals" and "drug and human" smugglers moving through the area.
I suppose warnings are appreciated, but they beg several questions. First and foremost, why are there armed foreign criminals and smugglers roaming around in the United States? And what is the government going to do about the problem besides put up a bunch of signs? Don't we have federal immigration laws that address this very problem and which the president and federal government are legally and constitutionally bound to enforce?
These are all good questions that deserve and urgently need answers. There's another, though, that illuminates the real intent of the federal government when it comes to enforcing federal immigration laws (not to mention myriad criminal laws) in places like Arizona. I'll preface it by pointing out that the BLM signs instruct citizens not to "confront" any foreign criminals, traffickers and smugglers they encounter, but to call 911. Sounds sensible, right? Let the professionals take care of the situation.
But where does your call go when you dial 911? Does it go to the White House? To Secretary Napolitano's cell phone? To the FBI? Of course not--it goes to local law enforcement. That makes sense, except for the fact that the Obama administration just sued the State of Arizona for trying have state and local police enforce federal immigration laws.
Now to be fair, if a Mexican drug runner is brazenly chasing you down the highway, state and local police officers will be able to help you and apprehend the bad guys. But in most cases the rules of the game go something like this: If you encounter drug or human smugglers in Arizona do not confront them. Instead, call 911 for local police who cannot confront them because they're legally prohibited from doing so by the federal government who will not confront them.
Do Not, Cannot and Will Not. Sounds like a Jim Carey movie. Maybe the BLM had better order some more of those signs. And maybe a few white flags while their at it.
