Raleigh Mayor 'Expecting' ICE, Not 'Inviting' Them
Raleigh Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin noted she's 'expecting' a federal immigration presence following a North Carolina law requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This rhetoric of 'expectation' conveniently glosses over the fact that Mayor Baldwin had multiple opportunities to oppose such measures, including through local ordinances or vocal public
disagreement, rather than merely awaiting federal deployment. It's almost as if 'expecting' someone means you had no part in setting the table. This isn't about local leaders being powerless; it's about framing political decisions as inevitable federal mandates. Remember when politicians 'expected' the Patriot Act, or 'expected' the Iraq War? The public's role is to simply 'expect' the
consequences. (One might wonder if any politicians who championed the North Carolina law received campaign donations from private detention companies poised to profit from increased federal enforcement. Just asking.)