Immigration Enforcement Efforts Continue

Operation Safe Community, one of the latest targeted efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, focused on identifying and arresting illegal aliens in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. Alexandria, VA – home to NPG headquarters – lies just across the river from the nation’s capital and was therefore included in the August exercise.

A small paper devoted to Alexandria and its closest neighbors, Alexandria Times, covered the operation with mixed emotions. As in every community across the country, some believe the raids are unfair and target individuals with no criminal history other than their immigration status.

Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey is not a fan of ICE. He is quoted as saying: “I do not support or condone the way ICE is enforcing immigration law in the community. That is why, as I have said many times, the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office does not – and will not – conduct immigration enforcement in our community while I serve as Sheriff.” He continues by stating: “We do not, and have never, arrested or detained anyone in the community based on their immigration status, and we do not allow ICE to house individuals in our jail for violations of immigration law.”

However, if an individual is arrested for another offense and then determined to be in the country illegally, the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office is required to report the information to Federal authorities. “Only individuals who have been lawfully committed to the Alexandria Adult Detention Center … for a violation of state or criminal law are transferred to ICE custody pursuant to a valid federal arrest warrant,” the Sheriff’s Office website states. “Such warrants are a federal administrative arrest warrant issued by ICE or a criminal warrant issued by a judicial authority at ICE’s request; both constitute a lawful basis for a transfer of custody to ICE.”

Others, like activist and NPG member Dino Drudi, an Alexandria resident, believe the arrests are warranted and conducted fairly. When asked what he felt about the current state of enforcement, he stated: “The answer is strictly: This person is here illegally and is subject to deportation… We have immigration laws. The laws… were passed with substantial bipartisan majorities… We owe it to the people here, the American people, that the laws be faithfully executed rather than ignored.”

Mr. Drudi also referred to NPG in his comments to reporter Hannah Shiblaq, mentioning our position on “earth overshoot.” He explained: “Meaning that the population is so far beyond a sustainable level that it almost inevitably will lead to environmental degradation, if not environmental catastrophe… We have to get control of the various vectors of population increase, of which the biggest vector is an out of control immigration policy that allows in a million people legally per year.”

Thank you, Mr. Drudi, for your contributions to the article in Alexandria Times and for your enduring activism.

Retiring and Moving to…Delaware?

Yes, that is now a thing. In fact, the southernmost of Delaware’s three counties – Sussex – experienced growth of 17%, adding more than 40,000 new faces to the area since 2000, according to a recent Bloomberg report. Meanwhile, the 65-and-over population increased by 23% across the state over the same period, the highest rate of increase for that age group across the country.

Traditionally, retirees from the northeast – where winters can be brutal – flock to Florida, Georgia, and Texas. Delaware, with its smaller towns and friendly beaches, appears to be attracting its fair share of seniors. Very modestly priced housing and extremely low taxes, especially when compared to states like New Jersey and New York, encourage more to look closely at the small mid-Atlantic state. Financial planner Brad Davis refers to them as “property tax refugees,” indicating the extreme benefits of reducing property tax totals to perhaps only 10% of what was previously paid.

As can be expected, Delaware is not immune to the risks of population growth. According to an article in the New York Post, “…the state is starting to see its own issues, like traffic on roads to the beach, a limited supply of doctor’s appointments and a rising average income that could price out teachers and healthcare workers.”

Delaware residents are taking notice. Joe Pika, a retired professor from the University of Delaware, “leads the Sussex Preservation Coalition, which is trying to slow growth in the area.” He stated that living in Delaware has grown to include “everyday annoyance, traffic, and a lot of stress.” He elaborated to explain “that he had to wait nine months for a colonoscopy, 18 months for a dental visit and drives 40 miles away for dermatologist visits.”

Unfortunately, Delaware’s idyllic lifestyle may soon be a thing of the past as the state struggles to accommodate a steady flow of new residents. Lower, Slower Delaware – known as LSD to the locals – was once used as a comical term to identify the area. We can only hope that they are able to use that description in the future.

NPG has reached out to the Sussex Preservation Coalition with our Delaware State Profile. Our hope is that we are able to work with them to encourage an end to growth and to preserve their way of life before too many people overwhelm their community and change it forever.