ANALYSIS/OPINION:
The loss of human life is always hard to accept, but when that loss is completely preventable, then it’s simply infuriating.
Last week, the nation learned of a horrific accident that involved some 25 illegal immigrants who were packed into an SUV like sardines in order to be smuggled into the U.S. The SUV slammed into a tractor-trailer just north of the Mexican border, killing more than a dozen of the passengers, most of whom were Mexican.
As horrific as this sounds, that was just the half of it. There was a second SUV, packed with 19 illegal immigrants, that suddenly burst into flames as it sped up the highway. Thankfully, they all survived. Both vehicles had crossed illegally through a new hole cut in border fencing near El Centro, California.
These reckless attempts to enter the U.S. illegally have been triggered by the Biden administration, which has ransacked every border enforcement tool in place as it has kowtowed to the radical left fringes of the Democratic Party. This has included stopping construction on the border wall, reinstating catch and release, reducing interior enforcement, moving to sever ties with private illegal alien detention facilities, and ending agreements with our Central American and Mexican allies, which were designed to tamp down on asylum fraud.
And why wouldn’t every would-be illegal immigrant who has ever thought of jumping their place in line and crashing the border act now? America’s top immigration cop, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security’s Alejandro Mayorkas, told the world’s would-be illegal aliens that “we’re not saying don’t come, we’re saying don’t come now.”
As apprehension numbers skyrocket, and the number of unaccompanied minors entering the country illegally is projected to hit 13,000 for the month of May alone, let’s not forget the human carnage that will result from this massive push of humanity northward. As the families of the SUV crash bury their loved ones, let’s remember that they are not the only victims being produced by this border rush. It is estimated that 31% of women and 17% of men experience sexual assault on the journey north. Some 7-in-10 migrants report facing violence as well during their trip.
On the flip side of the coin, we have the carnage and heartbreak of American families on this side of the border. Of course, there’s the unforgettable case of Kate Steinle, the young woman who was gunned down while taking an afternoon walk with her father by an illegal alien who had been deported five times and convicted of multiple felonies.
Sadly, America is full of Angel families, those who have lost their loved ones to criminal and illegal aliens. Their heartfelt and heartbreaking stories remind us that their losses are permanent and their pain will remain with them the rest of their lives.
My own son, Matthew Denice, was brutally killed on Aug. 20, 2011, in Milford, Massachusetts by an illegal alien who was drunk, driving without a license and ran through a stop sign, colliding with Matthew on his motorcycle. Matthew landed on the front driver’s side hood, rolled off and should have survived the collision with abrasions and bruises. However, while fleeing the scene, the driver ran over Matthew and dragged him a quarter mile to his death while horrified witnesses were screaming for the driver to stop.
Years of poor and ineffective border security, lack of mandatory E-Verify — the best way of closing down the jobs magnet that lures illegal aliens here — and the explosion of sanctuary jurisdictions and sanctuary states has created an environment where we can expect more victims on this side of the border as well.
The common denominator, of course, for the grieving families on both sides of the border is a lack continuous commitment by our government to uphold one of its primary responsibilities: Secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws in the interior of our country. Even when failure to do so has lethal consequences.
Sadly, until that happens, the tragedy we witnessed on the highway in California, and the loss of some of America’s best at the hands of criminal and illegal aliens, will continue to horrify and sadden the public, both here and abroad.
• Maureen Maloney is a board member of Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime (AVIAC) and resides in Worcester, Massachusetts.