Hubris, thy name is East Hampton.
The residents of this exclusive Long Island enclave are up in arms about ICE arresting and deporting illegal immigrants. That in and of itself is not a surprise. What else would one expect from wealthy New Yorkers? But the source of their ire is not the usual self-righteous grievances about which people who wallow in luxury have time to pontificate.
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No, the upper-crust inhabitants of this community (median home price, $2 million) are concerned that Tom Homan’s ICE crew may come along and scoop up the gardeners, housekeepers, and nannies. They are so flustered and panicked that someone decided a community meeting was in order to address the impending crisis. No, really,
The New York Post reported that a town meeting was convened on Tuesday. East Hampton Village Police Chief Jeffrey Erickson assured residents that his department would not cooperate with ICE, stating, “If it is an ICE detainer or an administrative warrant, we do not have the authority; we will not hold them.” According to the paper, at another meeting, East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo commented:
“Our level of participation and cooperation with ICE lies in criminal matters. I haven’t seen an ICE agent in this town in I can’t tell you how long. You see what I’m wearing here,” Sarlo said, dramatically pointing to his firearm. “People who wear this and put this on, don’t interfere with other people who wear this and put this on because then people die. You don’t step in front of an immigration enforcement officer in uniform with a gun and a badge who’s taking his action. That’s for attorneys to get involved in, and that is for policies and procedures through the state to get involved,” he added.
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People who live in East Hampton are blissfully unaware of the scourges of human trafficking and fentanyl. They probably don’t even know who Laken Riley or Jocelyn Nungaray were. They haven’t a clue or a care about the violence that Tren de Aragua and other cartels have inflicted on communities. They are immune to the struggles of ordinary people in New York City and Chicago who lose access to community resources and housing because of sanctuary city policies.
After all, if Rosa is gone, who will make the bloodies, mimosas, and Sunday brunch? Eduardo does such a great job detailing the Alfa Romero. Julio is a rockstar when it comes to the lawn, and Lupiita is so good with the kids!
I know immigration is hot right now, and recent protests have not done much, if anything, to generate sympathy for illegals. That said, there is, or once was, a case to be made for helping illegals who otherwise obey the law to get on the path to becoming taxpaying citizens. It’s better for the country, and it is better for the immigrants.
This raises an interesting question: how many of these well-heeled country clubbers are sponsoring their hired help? The naturalization process is time-consuming and expensive. People in East Hampton have money and connections. If the residents of East Hampton can’t be bothered to cut their own grass, vacuum their floors, wax their cars, cook a meal, or skip hot yoga to take Brynnleigh and Jaxxsin to soccer and lacrosse, maybe they need to put up or shut up.
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