Legislator tries to tear down sheriff’s efforts to build wall

Build the wall. It’s time to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into our country and the commonwealth. Due to our state’s generous welfare benefits we are a magnet state, which has been very costly for taxpayers.

Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson has toured the border several times and seen firsthand the need for the wall. That’s probably why he wants to send inmates to the border to help construct it. Not only is his proposal good for our country, it also helps inmates gain a skill set.

Hodgson’s proposal has angered some Bacon Hill hacks, including Rep. Antonio Cabral, who recently wrote: “With budgets always tight, I work tirelessly to bring state dollars here to New Bedford. This is why I am so disappointed by the Bristol County sheriff’s proposals regarding immigration, which would divert our state dollars away from in-state needs.” That’s priceless, coming from a legislator who just voted himself a huge pay raise.

Cabral (D-New Bedford) has filed legislation to stop Hodgson’s plan, saying the inmates should only work for Massachusetts. I don’t recall any outrage when the sheriff was using prisoners to send supplies to Haiti for earthquake relief. I don’t remember any outrage when 50 of the sheriff ’s staff traveled to New York City after 9/11 or when another Democratic sheriff sent a mobile command center to Louisiana.

Cabral’s attacks on Hodgson have nothing to do with being frugal or keeping inmates here at home to work. He supports illegal immigrants.

As a legislator, Cabral has repeatedly voted to help illegal immigrants. He has opposed amendments to require Social Security numbers to obtain public housing and has voted to keep in-state tuition breaks. Moreover, he voted against Billerica Republican Rep. Marc Lombardo’s amendment to cut off state aid to sanctuary cities.

To make matters worse, Cabral has filed another bill that would prevent the use of state dollars in working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This bill would help put criminal illegal immigrants back on our streets. When a person is arrested and flagged by ICE, it sometimes takes a day or two to get ICE to interview them. If Cabral’s bill is passed, these criminals would not be detained. They could get bail and flee.

I thought we learned after 9/11 the importance of collaboration between police departments and other public safety officials.

We were told when the pay raise passed we would get a higher caliber of representation. Can we get our money back?