A radical mayor in Maryland has pledged to devote taxpayer dollars to help illegal aliens living in his city fight President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation efforts.
On Thursday, Mayor Michael O’Connor held a press conference at city hall in Frederick, a city of 78,000 residents about 50 miles northwest of Baltimore. During the press conference, O’Connor vowed to stand firm on a number of left-wing issues, including protecting illegal aliens.
‘I’d rather our taxpayer money go towards American citizens.’
As part of that pledge, O’Connor promised to earmark part of the city’s budget to create a legal advocacy fund for illegal aliens, thereby “ensuring they have the legal support they need to stand strong and remain in this community they have chosen to call home.”
WBFF claimed that all of the Frederick residents who spoke to the outlet about O’Connor’s remarks opposed the idea of taxpayers paying for attorneys for illegal aliens.
“I’d rather our taxpayer money go towards American citizens,” said Rachel Pett.
“You break the law, it’s just what happens, added Ryan Head, who noted that U.S. citizens in Frederick are not afforded the same luxury.
“Nobody helped me pay for my attorney fees when I break the law. So, why should we be paying for theirs out of taxpayer money?”
Taxpayer advocate David Williams likewise claimed that Frederick cannot “afford” the legal advocacy fund since it would deprive other municipal agencies of badly needed resources. “Taxpayer money should be going towards infrastructure and the basic needs of the community. This is not a basic need of a community of Frederick,” Williams said.
Rita Darko said that while she appreciates the contributions immigrants have made to her community, she is still “torn” about using public dollars to pay for their legal costs.
State Delegate Jesse Pippy, who also chairs the Republican Party of Frederick County, called parts of O’Connor’s speech “egregious” and “highly inappropriate,” according to the Frederick News-Post.
In response to a request for comment, O’Connor told WBFF: “This could support any resident in our community, and while we will never get everyone to agree on everything, working to support residents who may be fearful through trusted community partners is worth advocating for.”
The city council must first approve the fund before it can become a reality. None of the five members responded to WBFF’s request for comment.
Like Democrats around the country, O’Connor also promised that local law enforcement would not assist “outside agencies attempting to detain, deport, or remove” any Frederick residents.
In addition to his remarks about illegal aliens, O’Connor vowed during the press conference to “stand unequivocally” for unrestricted abortion access and those who identify as LGBTQ+.
“Being a safe, inclusive community is a distinction I am immensely proud of, and our residents have my commitment that we will maintain the perfect score, and we will continue to be a safe, inclusive community for anyone as long as I am mayor,” he said.
These positions appear to stand in direct contravention to the teachings of O’Connor’s religion.
A biography for O’Connor listed on the city website makes several references to his Catholic faith. Not only did he attend a Catholic prep school and university, but he claims association with Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic Church and to be a volunteer member of the Knights of Columbus.
The Catholic church ardently opposes abortion and believes that all “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.”
H/T: Libs of TikTok
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Frederick, Maryland, Michael o’connor, Illegal aliens, Illegal immigrants, Trump, Mass deportations, Democrats, Politics
