Trump immigration chief challenges Maryland sanctuary county leader to debate

A top Trump immigration official has responded to criticism from the government of a now-infamous sanctuary county in Maryland by challenging its council chairman to a debate.

Montgomery County, Maryland, has found itself in the news recently over the fact that at least seven illegal immigrants had been charged with rape in the jurisdiction in six weeks.

Acting United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director Ken Cuccinelli took notice of the wave of illegal alien sex crime arrests, calling the situation "sad and tragic" on Tuesday morning.

On Thursday night, the county council put out a statement criticizing public portrayals of the county's problem.

"The recent crimes of rape and the sexual assaults that have occurred in Montgomery County are horrendously vile acts, and the alleged perpetrators of these crimes are currently going through the legal process and will receive their judgements in court," the statement said.

"There has been a lot inaccurate information spread by the White House, President Trump, Acting USCIS Director Ken Cuccinelli, local and national conservative news outlets and neo-Nazi sympathizers regarding our criminal justice system and its process," the statement asserted.

Montgomery County is indeed a sanctuary jurisdiction. The county government formally declared that it would not cooperate with federal immigration officials in June, but a noncooperation policy had already been in place for some time before that.

Cuccinelli responded to the statement with a series of tweets calling out the county government and challenging County Executive Mark Elrich to a debate.

"Sanctuary County, Montgomery County, MD cannot debate the failure of its sanctuary policies on the merits," Cuccinelli said, "so they resort to ad hominem attacks using nazi implications – arguments out of bounds in civil society."

"If MontCo Chairman Elrich thinks the sanctuary policy they are so proud of is so good, I challenge him to a debate on the subject," the immigration chief continued. "I’ll defend children and crime victims, Elrich can defend rapists and murders who shouldn’t even be in this country."

(2/3) If MontCo Chairman Elrich thinks the sanctuary policy they are so proud of is so good, I challenge him to a debate on the subject. Neutral location (e.g. cspan or webcast w/no audience present). 1 hr total, 2.5 min open & close, w/alternating 5 min blocks determined by lot.

— USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli (@USCISCuccinelli) September 6, 2019

(3/3) No moderator, only a timekeeper w/a hard stop (i.e., mic goes off at end of time). I’ll defend children and crime victims, Elrich can defend rapists and murders who shouldn’t even be in this country. What do you say, Mr. Chairman?

— USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli (@USCISCuccinelli) September 6, 2019

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