Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime Press Conference   ... back >
Feb. 6, 2018 - A dozen or so sheriffs joined Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime (AVIAC) at a press conference where they called on President Trump "to put the safety of the American public first by prioritizing immigration enforcement in all ongoing legislative discussions."  Members of AVIAC, who lost close family members to traffic accidents caused by illegal immigrants, told moving stories of their experiences.

AVIAC seeks to emphasize security in the immigration debate, including an end to sanctuary cities and mandatory use of e-Verify; the group wants such measures implemented before any action is taken to protect DACA recipients.  Don Rosenberg, president of AVIAC, said the priority must be on protecting the American people and legal immigrants.  He stated, "We were extremely disappointed by the framework that has been set up [by the Trump administration], which basically gives amnesty to anywhere from 1.8 to probably 3 million people."  Rosenberg said, "As far as we're concerned, nothing should be done about DACA, DREAMers or any other person in the country illegally until those issues are taken care of, the issues that protect American people and legal immigrants."  "There's no middle ground betwee U.S. citizens and illegal aliens," he said. 

Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson (whom the Boston Globe has described as the "Sheriff from Trumpachusetts") said, "We cannot be expected to turn our backs on the law."  Hodgson decried "compromise nonsense" and said his message to officials in sanctuary cities would be, "Do your job.  You're there to protect us."
Sheriff Charles A. Jenkins of Frederick Co., Maryland.
Sheriff Jeff Gahler of Harford Co., Maryland.
Sheriff A.J. "Andy" Louderback of Jackson Co., Texas.  Texas sheriffs led a successful effort to pass an anti-sanctuary cities law in the Lone Star State in 2017.

Don Rosenberg, whose son was killed by an illegal immigrant in a traffic accident in 2010.
Maureen Maloney, whose son Matt was killed by a drunk driving illegal immigrant in 2011.
Maureen Grossi Laquerre, whose brother Richard V. Grossi was killed in 2009 car crash caused by an illegal immigrant.
Mary Ann Mendoza, whose son police Sgt. Brandon Mendoza was killed by an illegal immigrant driving the wrong way.  She spoke at Trump rallies in 2016 and at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Michelle Wilson Root, whose daughter Sarah Rae Ann Root was killed in Jan. 2016 by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk and street racing.
Sabine Durden, whose only child Dominic was killed in 2012 in a traffic accident caused by an illegal immigrant.

Speaking after the event, Sheriff Gary Long of Butts Co, Georgia emphasized the need to put Americans first.  "We have to take care of our own," Long stated.  Long, who worked as a law enforcement trainer along the Pakistan border in Afghanistan, said, "If we cannot secure our borders as Americans, we are not a country."  Long said he was not as concerned about MS-13 as about the drug cartels; he said Atlanta, about an hour northwest, serves as a hub for the cartels for the whole Eastern seaboard.  Long also mentioned the case of Edwin Jackson, the NFL player with Georgia roots killed recently in an accident caused by an illegal immigrant.  As for Congress, Long said, there are "too many Republicans, too many Democrats, and not enough Americans."

In a Jan. 3, 2018 open letter to President Trump, Rosenberg set out the following demands:
  • An end to sanctuary states, counties and cities and the prosecution under Title 8 U.S. Code § 1324 of those officials who refuse to obey federal law.
  • Mandatory use of e-verify
  • Criminal prosecution of all employers who hire illegal aliens
  • An operational biometric process to ensure that those who overstay their visas are removed and a new lawcriminalizing overstaying your visa.
  • Increased border security throughout the southern border by any means necessary
  • An end to chain migration and the diversity immigration lottery
  • An end to birthright citizenship.
  • A massive increase in the deportation of those whose fault it was in DACA recipient’s presence in the UnitedStates
  • Increasing the penalty for entering the country illegally to a felony and a mandatory 10-year sentence forentering once you have already been deported.
Source: AVIAC.us


Also note that today President Trump held a roundtable on MS-13, and issued several Tweets on the subject of immigration:

So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed linebacker Edwin Jackson. This is just one of many such preventable tragedies. We must get the Dems to get tough on the Border, and with illegal immigration, FAST!

My prayers and best wishes are with the family of Edwin Jackson, a wonderful young man whose life was so senselessly taken.

Polling shows nearly 7 in 10 Americans support an immigration reform package that includes DACA, fully secures the border, ends chain migration & cancels the visa lottery. If D’s oppose this deal, they aren’t serious about DACA-they just want open borders.

We need a 21st century MERIT-BASED immigration system. Chain migration and the visa lottery are outdated programs that hurt our economic and national security.


Today, we heard the experiences of law enforcement professionals and community leaders working to combat the threat of MS-13, and the reforms we need from Congress to defeat it. Watch here:
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