A dangerous form of moral dementia is spreading through certain sectors of American public life — one that no serious society can tolerate. Some politicians, intoxicated by populist theatrics, have begun suggesting that local law enforcement should arrest federal agents who are merely fulfilling their duty to enforce immigration law.
The mere articulation of such an idea, by itself, is enough to reveal the intellectual and ethical decay that has overtaken part of the political class.
This is not only a betrayal of constitutional order but also an affront to the dignity of all those who wear a uniform and serve the State with honor. The role of law enforcement is not to bow to political whims but to ensure that the law prevails over emotion and partisan interest. When a local politician demands the arrest of a federal agent carrying out a lawful duty — such as detaining individuals in violation of immigration laws — he is not defending his community. On the contrary, he undermines the very foundation of justice that upholds it.
Even when such absurdities are proclaimed aloud, it is essential to recall an unshakable principle: no local police officer, no county sheriff, nor even a state trooper has the legal authority to arrest a federal agent acting in the legitimate exercise of his duties. The Constitution of the United States and all jurisprudence derived from it are unequivocal on this matter. Federal law supersedes any state or municipal provision that conflicts with it.
Such supremacy is not a mere matter of political opinion but the fundamental pillar upon which the unity of the Republic rests. Without this legal hierarchy, fifty states would diverge into fifty distinct conceptions of legality, leading to the moral and institutional disintegration of the Nation itself.
In my personal view, those truly responsible for inciting hatred, disorder, and contempt for authority are not the federal agents enforcing the law, but the politicians who promote such reckless rhetoric. They — not the men of law — should be held legally accountable for their actions, for by sowing hostility toward those who protect the Nation, they attack public peace and the respect owed to legitimate authority.
Those who serve under the emblem of authority, whether local or federal, deserve respect — not political persecution. To pit law enforcement agencies against one another is to open the door to anarchy and to destroy, from within, the very edifice of the Rule of Law. The American system was built upon cooperation between jurisdictions, not competition among egos.
The true question is not whether federal agents should or should not make arrests, but whether political leaders still possess the courage to defend the law when it becomes inconvenient. Civilization begins when obedience to the law surpasses obedience to impulse. When that balance is broken, barbarism soon returns.
César DePaço
Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Honorary Consul of Portugal (2014–2020)
Founder and CEO of Summit Nutritionals International Inc.
President of the DePaço Foundation
Unwavering Defender of Law Enforcement and Conservative Principles
Source: LusoAmericano