Upholding Law and Order: Why Illegal Immigration Must Be Addressed to Preserve American Freedom
Our nation is facing an unprecedented crisis of illegal immigration — one that threatens not only our national sovereignty but the foundational principle that is essential for the maintenance of a free society: the rule of law.
The plain truth is that those who cross into our nation unlawfully have violated the law. Under 8 U.S.C. § 1325, it is a misdemeanor to enter the United States illegally. That some administrations have failed to enforce these laws does not make these individuals legal residents. Their very presence, without lawful entry or documentation, is a breach of federal statute. The law has not changed — only the political will to uphold it.
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It was this very breakdown in the enforcement of our immigration laws that, in part, fueled the election of Donald J. Trump in 2024. He ran on a platform of restoring law and order at our borders and won the trust of millions of Americans who had grown tired of the lawlessness that had gone unchallenged for too long.
Let us be clear: those arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are not being hauled away in the dead of night without recourse. On the contrary, due process is built into our immigration laws. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, every non-citizen facing removal is entitled to a hearing before an immigration judge — unless they fall under the expedited removal exception, which applies to individuals caught near the border who cannot prove they’ve been in the U.S. continuously for two years. Even then, if they claim asylum or fear of persecution, they are granted a credible fear interview before any removal action.
We should all agree that the Trump Administration must faithfully adhere to the due process elements in our immigration laws. That said, due process in the context of illegal immigration does not mean immunity from enforcement, and it does not mean a full-blown trial. It means an opportunity to prove lawful presence, which, in the overwhelming majority of cases, should be a very simple matter to demonstrate.
We must also affirm that the right to protest peacefully is enshrined in the First Amendment and must be protected. Americans have the right to voice opposition to government policies, including immigration enforcement. But that right ends where violence begins. Attacking police officers, destroying property, and obstructing immigration enforcement is not protest — it is criminal conduct. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1505 and related statutes, obstruction of justice is defined as “interference with the orderly administration of law and justice.” Anyone who physically resists or aids others in resisting law enforcement is guilty of such a crime.
Even worse, those who incite or engage in violent acts against federal officers may be guilty of sedition, defined under 18 U.S.C. § 2384 as two or more persons conspiring “to oppose by force the authority of the United States.” These offenses are not protected speech — they are intolerable acts against the nation.
Disturbingly, there is growing evidence that the riots currently unfolding in Los Angeles and elsewhere are not organic. Reports from the LAPD and DHS have revealed the presence of organized groups bused in from out of state and coordinated via encrypted messaging apps. Early footage shows rioters waving large Mexican flags, not American flags. Patriots do not riot under foreign banners.
One violent rioter in Los Angeles remarked to the cameras that she was protesting because the illegal aliens are friends and neighbors living among us. She is clearly misinformed. The raid in Los Angeles that spawned the riots was aimed at illegal aliens who were guilty of serious and sometimes violent crimes, including child molestation, armed robbery, vehicular assault and hit and run and domestic violence. What’s more, the blue state “sanctuary” laws protecting these criminals are often what make necessary the public, armed ICE raids. That is because Democrat controlled sanctuary states like California and Colorado have made it illegal for local law enforcement to notify ICE when they have arrested illegal aliens for violating state laws, or to hold them in their local jails long enough for ICE to make a peaceful transfer.
President Trump has a constitutional duty under Article II, Section 3 to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,” and if needed, under the Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C. §§ 251–255), he may deploy troops to restore order. If his predecessor had done his constitutional duty instead of willfully opening America’s borders to these criminals, our country (and the illegal aliens the rioters are concerned about) would not be in this situation.
The rule of law is the cornerstone of a just and free society. Without it, freedom and equality cannot survive. We must return to the conviction as a nation that our laws must be enforced uniformly and impartially. Disagreement with the law is not a license for destruction. The United States never promised anyone the right to live in this country illegally. Let us pray for wisdom, unity and justice — and stand firm in our resolve to enforce the immigration laws of this nation.
Richard Harris serves as the Executive Director of Truth and Liberty, host of the Truth and Liberty Show and the founder of Richard Harris Ministries. At Truth and Liberty, he spearheads the work to educate, to unify and to influence. After graduating from Cornell Law School, Harris practiced law for 29 years and represented clients at all levels of state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Richard is also the founder of Richard Harris Ministries, where he teaches the Word of God. Harris has a passion to see lives changed, a nation discipled, and the restoration of America’s Constitutional Republic under God.
