Mayor Joe Ganim issued a statement on Thursday regarding a sanctuary city.
Bridgeport has always been an immigrant city, and will continue to be. As a port city and one with great industrial heritage, Bridgeport’s economy has always been driven by the energy and hard work of generations of immigrant communities. This vibrancy and diversity gives us our strength.
That’s true for my family who came from Lebanon and Italy more than 100 years ago, and it’s true throughout all the waves of immigrants who have come to our city seeking a better life over the years, whether they hail from Jamaica, Vietnam, Pakistan, Cape Verde, Portugal, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Nigeria or many other places. We welcome immigrants from all over the world, and no one in our city has any reason to fear. In Bridgeport, we have a strong bond between our police officers and the diverse community they are sworn to protect. This is something I am proud of and something that has been recognized nationally. Our police Chief AJ Perez himself is an immigrant–arriving as a political refugee from Castro’s Cuba when he was just a boy.
The mission of the Bridgeport Police Department is to protect the public safety of all law-abiding residents of Bridgeport, no matter where they’re from. That mission will not change. The Bridgeport Police Department has always worked closely with various state and federal law enforcement agencies. That, too, will not change. We need each other, and we are all partners. In Bridgeport, we have no ordinance declaring us a ‘sanctuary’ city or directing restricting cooperation by our police department with any federal law enforcement agency. Therefore, I am not concerned that any federal funding for Bridgeport is in jeopardy. The federal Department of Homeland Security has jurisdiction over enforcement of federal immigration statutes, not the Bridgeport police department. Our department does not have the manpower nor legal authority to pursue or seek deportation of our undocumented population.
Instead, I stand with fellow mayors–Republicans and Democrats from all over the country–in calling on Congress and President Trump to work together for comprehensive immigration reform. These long-overdue changes are needed to secure our borders and tighten visa enforcement, while at the same time recognize who is already living in our cities and contributing to our economy by establishing a framework that allows the undocumented population to come out of the shadows.
With a stroke of the pen, Trump is trying to do what some Republicans in the last Congress were not able to do–punish “sanctuary” cities and states by withholding federal funds.
But the term sanctuary–given to about 300 jurisdictions in the United States–is used to describe a wide range of policies, none of which actually protect an undocumented worker from deportation if federal law enforcement officials have him or her in custody.
Full story here.
Donald Trump gives new meaning to governmental management with his FIRE (Aim, Ready) style, among other differences from previous residents of the White House.
One of these days, soon, he will be sorely tested when his ‘compassionate side,’ which he mentioned in the past few days, crashes into his autocrat on speed side. Major test of his character and of his ability to shape the communications message.
In my travels the US remains great, though criticized in other lands, because of our friendships and reach developed at great cost over time across the globe. The people of the world have flowed here for opportunity not present elsewhere. Many who reach here have directed their hours and powers to productive use that have made us greater and unique as a nation.
No doubt criminals who are here illegally are an accepted target for deportation, but of the millions remaining, where is the American way showing up in legislation? Time will tell.
Check out how this mayor goes straight to what his position is:
www .washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/25/boston-mayor-vows-to-use-city-hall-to-shelter-immi/
Not to worry, Trumper’s bud Joe Ganim will make a call and call off the “boots in the night.”
Representative Esty was correct in saying this action is not a solution. The solution is immigration reform and a serious review of Constitutional guidelines.
I would compare what Trump is doing to when a Bridgeport mayor takes office and immediately raises taxes. It is an unpleasant action that is necessary because the previous administration would not deal with measures to avoid a tax increase.
The ultimate solution has been made more difficult because of lawmakers such as Connecticut’s Esty, Blumenthal and Murphy and governors like Malloy who have embraced the ‘progressive’ agenda of the Democrat party.
Senator Murphy is an example of the effort to portray people entering and living in the United States illegally as immigrants whom we should welcome because of our “immigrant history.”
I don’t care for Trump’s style and demeanor, but like a turnaround specialist in the corporate world, the remedy to problems can initially be very painful and unpopular to some.
No worries. The federal courts have ruled that enforcement of federal immigration laws is the responsibility of the federal government, NOT states or municipalities.
Federal law prohibits the sale and production of marijuana, but some states don’t care much about this and the Justice Department decided they won’t enforce the law.
Remember when the federal government provided funding for the hiring of police officers during the Clinton administration? Why should the federal government ever provide grants or funding for hiring cops if they’re not going to be responsible for enforcing federal law or allowed to pick and choose which federal laws they’re going to help enforce?
When did this happen, Kid? You didn’t say it was the sole responsibility.
Don’t be dense, Joel. Enforcement of federal laws is the responsibility of FEDERAL law enforcement officers.
It is also immoral, unethical, un-American and UNCONSTITUTIONAL to bar anyone from entry to the U.S. based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religion.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
John, people are scared of the others they don’t know or understand, they feel threatened by their race, religion, ethnicity, their skin color and their politics. There are those who feel they are losing their privileges as Americans to the “others” and they want their country back. Especially after America had its first black President, people believed blacks received benefits from Obama they didn’t get. Question, would these people change places in life with the black person of the same status as them?
Great question, Ron; and one folks may duck because of its impossibility for starters. However, when we get to know the story that others have lived with and dealt with, especially in the face of huge limitations, and with few resources beyond raw talent, faith in a higher power, and unquenchable hope for a better outcome, we become better neighbors and much less fearful. And doesn’t that earn human respect? Time will tell.
All things black.
It is a fact blacks received more help and prosperity under Bush’s eight years than Obama’s eight years in office. “In March 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that only 1.7 percent of $23 billion in SBA loans went to Black-owned businesses in 2013, the lowest loan of SBA lending to Black businesses on record. During the Bush presidency, the percentage of SBA loans to Black businesses was 8 percent–more than four times the Obama rate.
/www .youtube.com/watch?v=Pp2JZH1sfiM
But you have a high-profile celebrity like Kanye West who says Bush doesn’t care about black people to perpetuate racism and an agenda.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=PDMyArnIdzY
Obama Administration deported more people than Bush Administration. Like Dems fighting for blacks to vote without an ID, instead of fighting to provide them with an ID. (How hard can it be to provide a voter ID card?) Immigration is somewhat of the same thing. Instead of fighting to bring them out of the shadows they fight for keeping their illegal status and being exploited. That’s all illegal immigration is, modern day slavery and exploitation.
www .c-span.org/video/?192506-1/president-bush-address-immigration-2006
There was a health bill for 911 First Responders; The Dems killed their own bill based on them not wanting Republicans to amend it. This tells you they really didn’t cared for the bill or wanted it to pass, just wanted to make it seems like they cared about the First Responders and their health. That’s how this game operates, I would think.
www .cc.com/video-clips/j5ujut/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-i-give-up—9-11-responders-bill
Bush wanted to first secure the border and fix the flawed work visa program. Then deal with the 11 million illegal immigrants. To keep with the analogy of operation, if a person is shot, the first thing you do is stop the bleeding, then deal with the patient’s injury. But the Dems weren’t having it. They wanted no penalties for breaking the law. Like voters IDs they are fighting to keep their illegal immigration status, not bring them out of the shadow from being exploited.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=MPfqPLAHSTM
Ron, you are as racist as some of Trump’s supporters. The only thing different between a common black racist and a common white racist in this day and age in American is, white racists stem their racism from the black stereotype, phallus size, and black racists stem their from America’s history of black slavery. New flash about the stereotype about Chinese or Asians. They make up 60% of the world’s population. Somebody’s getting busy.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=NADEKHmwbXE&list=RDNADEKHmwbXE&index=1I
Ron, I’m not saying there is no common racism or institution racism in America. You as a black person, your life has been better off than many whites and blacks in America. That being said, I have a hard time understanding what racism means to you or in America. Evil I know very well, racism not so much.
Whatever it means to you or America, I’m sure it’s not the same as it meant for blacks and America when this country was formed and each passing day. I don’t want to demonize the entire Democrat Party or Praise the entire Republican Party because that would be wrong. I depart with this:
www .youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc
Every beginning has an end and I will end with this.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=nowsS7pMApI
Lisa, I give you my word. This will be my last post on OIB. I will keep up with the comments though. BAM I’M OUT 🙂
Robert, keep posting your opinions. I speak for myself and I know there are some who might agree with me, we don’t always share information and process views in the same way, but unless they are expressed we lose the opportunity to open our minds to the ideas of others.
White man won’t trade with Chris Rock.
youtu.be/0k_kIpxfWxA
Ron, would you or Day switch lives with Chris Rock?
www .youtube.com/watch?v=MdQg7jTXUt8
You just don’t get it. Don and Ron can’t just wait and ride the “white train.”
You just don’t get it, Ron. Do you want to ride on or need to ride on that “White Train?” The question you should be asking is where is that train heading. If that train were coming from the opposite direction would you still want or need to get on it? Does your or Day’s deprivation of said train denied you or Day from owning your own home, car or enjoy certain comforts of life most in this world don’t enjoy yet? Remember whatever train cars you hop on the tracks in this country, they are anchored in America, but the direction is a choice you make. Do you and Day (I will leave Day out because he didn’t chime in on this thread), do you feel you are an American or just an ancestor from “black” slaves brought to America? Ron, you not being able to wait or ride on that “white train,” does that applied to “President” Obama as well or is he not black enough? PS Lisa I’m fair and I’m a man of my word (If it in my power), this not a post it’s a reply. BAM I’M OUT. 🙂
“… and it’s true throughout all the waves of immigrants who have come to our city seeking a better life over the years, whether they hail from Jamaica, Vietnam, Pakistan, Cape Verde, Portugal, Guatemala, Puerto Rico …”
Did I read “Puerto Rico?” When a Puertorican moves from the United States to Puerto Rico or vice versa, they are moving, not migrating. The status of Puertoricans cannot be compared to that of people of the other countries mentioned. It took years of fighting among Puertoricans and the US for Puerto Rico to ultimately agree to the current Commonwealth Status. Today, Puerto Rico is bankrupt and reduced to just Common Status as the “wealth” is owned by investors. Pay attention!
The comments are getting away from the main point of Ganim’s remarks. He seems to be saying our police dept will cooperate with the feds so our federal funding will not be in jeopardy. In spite of the CT state law that allows local law enforcement to ignore a federal request to hold an undocumented resident for immigration officials if they decide to.
Madeline, I understand what you mean by “He seems.” At the same time he seems to be saying illegal immigrants are safe in Bridgeport.
“The mission of the Bridgeport Police Department is to protect the public safety of all law-abiding residents of Bridgeport, no matter where they’re from.”
In this part of his statement, he doesn’t specify which laws (Federal or State) he is referring to. Immigration is a federal matter and if a person is here illegally that person is in violation of federal law. Based on this observation, I take it as Ganim being in favor of BPD assisting in capturing illegal aliens. Your point with CT state law doesn’t mean crap as federal law supersedes state law. Another CT law I would mention is the Andres Ayala law that cost us millions of dollars to implement the issuing of driver licenses to undocumented folks. What would happen if the Russians hack or already hacked the CT drivers license database and pass the details to Trump? What would happen when undocumented licensed drivers are pulled over by the police in Connecticut?
“That mission will not change. The Bridgeport Police Department has always worked closely with various state and federal law enforcement agencies. That, too, will not change.”
I’m sure this is true if we are talking about joint operations to catch killers, gun runners and deadly heroin dealers. We are not talking about these types of joint effort. When was the first or last time ICE and the Bridgeport P.D. conduct a joint effort to enforce Immigration laws? The above statement was written by Av Harris, not Joe Ganim. I prefer this important statement would have been made via a press conference announced days ahead of time so important follow-up questions could be asked. Enough with the political spins, especially when you are not good at it, Mr. Harris.
Joel, thank you for staying on the topic of immigration (which most on this blog never do), and thank you for your insight. On your comment of Bridgeport press conferences, I think our local press never questions anything anyway.
Madeline Dennis Raleigh
Joel, the main problem is local police make the arrest and information goes to the federal government but the federal government doesn’t follow up in time before the person arrested is released. America needs these workers because Americans won’t do these jobs.
Robert, I was born black. I was born in America. I served America during the Vietnam War as a firefighter, my father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. My father after the war didn’t have the same rights in America that whites had who served on the same ship and the same war. I’ve served my City as a firefighter. Robert, how dare you question my relationship to this country?
Again, I didn’t dare to question your relationship to this country. I dared to ask you your relationship to this country. Do you agree you have more rights than your father had? Can you give me one right a white American has that a black American doesn’t have in America? (Not opportunity, they are completely different than rights. I’m not denying blacks are behind in equal opportunity than some whites in America, however some whites are behind some blacks in America.) What train did Obama get on to become President of America?
What you fail to understand that I’m trying say. It’s your broad stroke of whites in America like they haven’t endured hardship. I take issue with that. Poor blacks live in projects. Poor whites live in trailer parks (with tornadoes).
That is what your colorblindness fails to see (or racism does). New flash Ron, those so-called privileged whites didn’t vote for Trump, it was the poor white trailer trash who voted for him. Not because he said he will build a wall, but because he said he will bring back jobs. You know, those things everybody on OIB keeps talking about Bridgeport needs to lift up its citizens out of poverty. Hillary literally said she was going to put American coal mining companies and fossil fuels companies out of business.
Like voter IDs and Immigration. Instead of advocating to supply Voter IDs to blacks they advocate for not needing one to vote. OR instead of advocating bringing immigrants out of the shadows they advocate to protect their immigration status. Instead of advocating for strong regulations on the CO2 emissions on the use of coal and fossil fuel in this country, they advocate to close down the plants. Here’s the thing; as a country America doesn’t use all that much coal. China uses 50% of all the coal mined, that not going to stop or change on a dime. If America stops producing coal or selling on the market, China will still use it and the market will fill that void.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=ksIXqxpQNt0
If we stop producing oil and gas ourselves, are we going to stop needing it? No. We will have to import it from other countries to fill our cars and heat our homes. Ron, I’m a simple man, I won’t say the scientific data doesn’t say that the world is warming and the icecaps are melting. I just don’t know how many cars were on the road and the total human impact caused this global warming trend.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=dJ5GYQrkvxI
Back to my point, so as long as you fight for black advancement in America based on demonizing whites in general, I will take issue with it. Not because I’m white, because it’s wrong. Ron, as a soldier who fought and put your life on the line for American as well as your father had, how do you feel about Democrat Liberals burning the American flag and demonizing America?
www .youtube.com/watch?v=jfADUTJI8gY
Or not take issue with it. This is my last reply. 🙂
Pew Research Center, “Views of Race and Inequality, Black and Whites Are Worlds Apart”
www .pewsocialtrends.org/2016/06/27/on-views-of-race-and-inequality-blacks-and-whites-are-worlds-apart/
Brother Mackey, nothing can be gained by addressing this pseudo intellectual who hasn’t had a cogent thought, probably in his life. Never have you ever demonized white people while fighting for black advancement. Make no mistake about it, you are unapologetic for black advancement in Bridgeport, Connecticut and in life in general, but have never been anti-white as numerous whites who post on OIB will attest to. You’re a grown-ass man who can do what you want to, but addressing this fool is like addressing Maria, nothing will ever be accomplished.
Don, thanks, you sum it up good. As a proud black man and one who loves the Lord Jesus Christ there is no way I could hate one of God’s children. What people don’t know about you is your best friend is a well-respected white attorney. Our love of being black and trying to assist the advancement of black people has nothing at all with hating whites or not liking whites. We’ve always had great relationship with white firefighters even if we disagree on certain issues. When that bell rings and those lights come on, it means someone in Bridgeport needs help and disagreements, race or anything else goes out the window because we are a family.
Robert is trying to gain some type of support by trying to call us out but he’s a true loser. Now for Maria, I have a little hope as long as she stops name-calling and sticks to the issues but I said little; time will tell (JML).
I wasn’t going to make comments on OIB. However I like Don more than I like Ron. So I’ll end this thread with a reply to Day. Don, since I don’t know what “pseudo” means, I’m assuming it means the same thing as “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
I never condemned Ron or you about your advocacy for black advancement. I take issue with the one-sidedness of it. You and Ron can advocate for black advancement but whites are demonized if they advocate for white advancement. Its almost like the N word (nigger). Whites say it to a black person, they’re racist. But if a black person says it to another black person, its meaning to them is totally different. I get that. It’s in our current psyche. Like a guy who sleeps around and picks up a lot of women, he’s called a stud, Casanova. If women sleeps around and picks up a lot men, she’s called a pig or a slut. Same word, same act, but different meanings based on whom is saying it or doing it and receiving it, which kind a leads me to my point.
Take Bush. Bush may have not placed many blacks on the higher run of political offices than Obama had, but it seems he did more for the bottom rung of blacks in America than Obama did. Day, this is way I address Ron as all things black. Just because a politician is black doesn’t always mean blacks are making advancements, and if a politician is white doesn’t always mean blacks are not making advancements. This goes for the Democrat and Republican parties in general also. George Bush should be on Mount Rushmore.
Ron, I’ll give you some insight on my support. I’m an honest person, and you know what they say about honesty. Everybody loves an honest person until they are honest with them. Then you’re a FUCKING ASSHOLE. 🙂
PS, here’s something about being proud.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=-OnWnwwxNPA
BAM I’M OUT.