The murder of a 92-year-old woman in New York City early this month shows again the mortal danger of Sanctuary City policies, and just what law-abiding Americans face in what Sam Francis rightly called anarcho-tyranny. Aside from loosing murderous illegal aliens upon the public, New York state hands out driver licenses to illegals, and New York City might soon allow non-citizens to vote. Immigration aside, the state has adopted dangerous criminal justice “reforms” that also jeopardize the public. That’s the anarchy. The tyranny? New Yorkers can’t even say “illegal alien,” for instance, without inviting a severe penalty. (See below.) But perhaps there’s hope: The Trump Administration has declared legal war against the Empire State over its brazen defiance of federal immigration law.

The last straw: the murder of Maria Fuentes in New York City on January 6. Reeaz Khan, a 21-year-old Guyanese illegal alien, “is accused of pouncing on the 92-year-old woman from behind, throwing her to the ground and then sexually assaulting her before he ran from the scene,” the district attorney for Queens said, and he’s charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, first-degree attempted rape, and first-degree sex abuse [Reeaz Khan indicted in murder of 92-year-old Queens ‘cat lady,’ by Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, New York Post, January 16, 2020].

Fuentes would be alive had the city honored a detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement instead of releasing Khan from custody in November. Khan was previously convicted of assault and weapons violations. ICE rightly pinned Fuentes’ death on the city. “Make no mistake, it is this city’s sanctuary policies that are the sole reason that this criminal was allowed to roam the streets freely and end an innocent woman’s life,” acting ICE Director Matthew Albence said last week [ICE issues subpoenas, saying New York prison officials won't cooperate with immigration enforcement, by Kristina Sgueglia, CNN, January 19, 2020].

Recently, ICE served the New York Department of Corrections with four subpoenas to get information not only about Khan but also three other dangerous illegal aliens, including a Mexican accused of attempted rape and a Salvadoran wanted for homicide in El Salvador [ICE issues subpoenas to obtain information refused under NY sanctuary policies, ICE.gov, January 18, 2020].

It’s been met with defiance. “New York City will not change the policies that have made us the safest big city in America, and [the Trump] administration’s attempts to exploit this tragedy are absolutely shameful. We will review the subpoena once we receive it,” Freddi Goldstein [Tweet her], New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s press secretary, told CNN, above.

De Blasio himself took a more conciliatory approach with local media last week:

We’re talking about a heinous crime and this individual, once it’s proven, is someone who should be in prison for the rest of their life, but on top of that, if convicted, then they will be turned over to ICE. That’s how our law works.

[Mayor Bill De Blasio Defends Sanctuary City Policy After ICE Criticism, CBS New York, January 15, 2020].

Defenders of New York’s sanctuary policies claim they still allow for the deportation of serious criminals and that some 177 crimes still trigger cooperation with ICE. But Khan was already convicted of serious crimes, as the Post reported.

And Khan is just one of thousands of criminal aliens protected by the city, which honored only about 10 of 7,526 detainers against illegals in the city’s custody last year. Those illegals, ICE’s Albence said, committed 17,873 crimes, including more than 200 homicides, more than 500 robberies, more than 1,000 sexual offenses and 1,000 weapons violations, and more than 3,500 assaults [ICE issues list of ‘fugitive’ illegal immigrants freed by New York City’s sanctuary city policies, by Adam Shaw, Fox News, January 18, 2020].

“The only immigrants protected by such policies are those committing violence and dangerous offenses, often in the same communities these politicians are purporting to protect,” Albence said at a press conference announcing ICE’s list of illegal-alien fugitives in New York.

New York’s state government also protects illegals. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed measures last year to shield “new Americans” from deportation, including one that provides lawyers for aliens at risk of deportation [Gov. Cuomo announces new measures to protect immigrants from ICE, PIX11, March 14, 2019].

At the end of 2018, Cuomo actually pardoned 22 criminal aliens specifically to save them from deportation. “While President Trump shuts down the federal government over his obsession with keeping immigrants out, New York stands strong in our support for immigrant communities,” the governor said in his announcement [Cuomo knocks Trump in announcing pardons for 22 immigrants, by Brett Samuels, The Hill, January 1, 2019].

In September, New York Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James filed a lawsuit against ICE because the agency arrested criminal aliens outside of state courthouses. Without any hint of self-awareness, James argued that the arrests “undermine the effectiveness of the court system” and hinder justice [Attorney General Tish James sues ICE over courthouse arrests, by Erin Durkin, Politico, September 25, 2019].

Also last year, the state legislature approved driver’s licenses for illegals, who formed massive lines at state’s DMVs when the law went into effect last month. This same law bars ICE, Border Patrol and other federal agencies from accessing DMV records without a court order. Open Borders advocates praised the law as one of the strongest protections for illegal aliens in the country [New York law lets undocumented immigrants apply for driver's licenses, blocks ICE access, by Jon Campbell, USA Today, December 19, 2019].

Even worse, New York City might go the extra mile and allow noncitizens to vote, which would create a million new voters overnight.

Arguably, the most outrageous move is outlawing the use of “illegal alien” with “intent to demean, humiliate or harass a person,” which invites a fine of up to $250,000. The city’s Orwellian Commission on Human Rights also outlawed criticizing anyone for not speaking English and threatening to call ICE.

The city defended this dystopian measure as a necessary defense of diversity.

“We take immense pride in our city’s diversity and the immigrant communities that call New York City home,” Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson said last October. “This new legal enforcement guidance will help ensure that no New Yorker is discriminated against based on their immigration status or national origin” [New York City bans use of 'illegals' and 'illegal alien,' by Gwen Aviles, NBC News, October 3, 2019].

In addition to curtailing free speech, New York harshly punishes patriots for minor crimes. In October, two Proud Boys were sentenced to four years over a street scuffle with Antifa, which initiated the fight. No one was injured, but Judge Mark Dwyer thought it necessary to deliver a harsh sentence to discourage political violence. Nothing happened to the Antifa goons [Two Proud Boys Have Been Sentenced To Prison For Their Brutal New York City Assault, by Julia Reinstein, Buzzfeed, October 22, 2019].

While New York prosecutes free speech and right-wingers, it allows dangerous criminals to go free—and not just illegal aliens. Thanks to last year’s sweeping “criminal justice reforms,” criminals—including suspects charged with assault, robbery, weapons possession, and even manslaughter—needn’t pay bail to get out of jail. Nearly 4,000 inmates were freed and thousands more will go free throughout 2020 [No Bail? No Problem in New York, by Robert Hampton, American Renaissance, January 3, 2020].

The consequences were as predictable as the policy was ridiculous. A black woman was arrested for assaulting three Orthodox Jews last month, then released without bail. Next day, cops arrested her for another assault and again she was released. She had a lengthy rap sheet prior to her first arrest for assault [Brooklyn hate assault suspect arrested, freed, arrested again, freed again, by Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, December 30, 2019].

But back to immigration. ICE did right with the subpoenas, but the administration must do more to fight immigration lawlessness in New York and elsewhere.

First, Trump should demand that Congress vote on a bill to defund Sanctuary Cities. The kritarchy has stymied his efforts to strip federal funds from these lawless cities, so now it’s time to let the people’s chamber debate the topic.

Of course, such a bill won’t pass the Democrat-controlled house, but it will force Democrats to defend illegal-alien robbers, rapists, gangbangers, murderers and other non-citizen miscreants. When Democrats vote against this sensible measure, Trump will have a key campaign issue for 2020.

Sanctuary Cities have been a major feature of Trump’s recent stump speeches. He needs to keep it up, point to the anarcho-tyranny in New York, and pound the obvious point that this is what the next Democratic president will bring to the entire country.

Trump was the Law and Order candidate in 2016. If he wants to win in November, he must become that candidate again.

Washington Watcher II [Email him] is an anonymous DC insider.