Good morning and welcome to Broad + Liberty's Weekly Reads.

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1. Northampton County’s ‘full cooperation’ claim clashes with ICE courthouse restrictions

By Todd Shepherd
 

After the Department of Homeland Security kicked up controversy by publishing a list of “sanctuary” governments, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure (D) reacted with indignation at his county’s inclusion.

“We fully cooperate with ICE,” McClure said in a video aired by a local television station, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Even though DHS would later take down its list, McClure’s statement — full cooperation — is directly contradicted, however, by previous reporting.

Why It Matters. “We believe that undocumented individuals who commit crimes should be deported. That is why we go well beyond what most jurisdictions do: Northampton County honors I.C.E. immigration detainers for up to 48 hours. This is a significant and proactive measure, underscoring our commitment to both public safety and lawful cooperation,” McClure said in his statement.

But Berger did not respond to follow-up questions about the 2020 executive order, and the AP’s description of that order as a “restriction.” She also did not respond to questions as to whether she or McClure ever approached the AP to dispute the “restrictions” characterization. Berger had well over a day to respond to the follow-up questions.

The AP said the executive order at issue “prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from arresting people at the county courthouse or jail unless they have provided county officials with a detainer request and then show up with a warrant signed by a federal judge.”

ICE has maintained that a signed federal warrant has never been legally required.

The matter takes additional significance given that McClure, a Democrat, is a candidate for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, a seat currently occupied by Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.

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2. It’s getting easier to separate the good guys from the bad guys

By Guy Ciarrocchi
 

President Trump has directed the National Guard to protect Los Angeles and its residents. After days of violence, riots and police cars burning — rioters waving flags for Mexico and Palestine, and burning American flags — Trump stepped-in to bring calm because their Mayor and Governor had been silent or, worse, explaining the rioters’ case.

Governor Gavin Newsom went from absent and silent to trying to explain that all was well. Then, he had a plan. Now, he’s suing Trump in court to block the National Guard — while the cars are still smoldering, and more savagery is being threatened.

How the two parties responded to the riots tells us everything about where we are as a nation. Remembering why we have twelve million illegal immigrants — far too many with criminal records — also tells us so much. Those lessons are as important as what is happening in LA.
The politicians are making it easy for us to choose sides. 

Why It Matters. The politicians on the side of the illegal immigrants, professional agitators, and even ordinary Americans who are wearing masks, burning police cars, and throwing rocks at police officers — and waving the flags of foreign governments — are not the good guys. No, it’s not at all acceptable just because they were “provoked” by what Trump did or might do.

Trump, police officers, ICE, and National Guard stopping the rioters — and the politicians defending them — are the good guys.

We have to choose. There’s too much at stake. There are existential threats to America. Not the childish, ideologically driven chants of the Left; there are actual threats to our safety, our children, our quality of life, our nation. 

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3. Lightning Round

• Dan Bartkowiak: Don’t let them in — Pennsylvania must not lose to the marijuana industry

• Thom Nickels: Sell the mansions, but keep the beauty of the church

• Court delivers key transparency victories in Shapiro records fight

• Paul Davis: ICE arrests local Russian national accused of al Qaeda membership

• John Rossi: Philly sports writers, a biased opinion

• David Reel: Too little, too late

• Bolno + Gambescia: On Biden, aging, candor, and public responsibility

4. What we're reading

By the time you read this, the “No Kings” protests around the country will have ended. According to Kim Strassel of the Wall Street Journal, none of this street theater is likely to change much. “Political memories are short, but none more fleeting than that of the Democratic collective. We’ve been doing this for nearly a decade, and always to the left’s detriment.”

Our First Amendment protects “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” and Americans should not hesitate to exercise that natural right when they believe it is necessary. But President Trump won an election just seven months ago, and nearly all of those assembled Saturday voted against him (or would have, if they were citizens). Little has changed since then in voter sentiments, and this protest is not likely to shift anyone’s thinking. And when such protests turn violent, as they often do, it only turns people away from their cause.

It’s a free country, and those who enjoy protesting should do so — peacefully. But don’t expect the rest of the country to follow.