The Providence City Council’s decision to spend $17,000 in taxpayer funds on mailers instructing illegal aliens to resist ICE immigration enforcement highlights a growing trend among Democrat-led cities: endangering public safety, enabling human trafficking and child exploitation, undermining rule of law, and misusing public funds, all while claiming to champion democracy and good governance.
Endangering Public Safety
According to DHS and DOJ reports, transnational criminal organizations exploit unsecured borders to smuggle drugs like fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine into the U.S. There are also ever-increasing reports of sexual exploitation of children since President Trump has been focused on saving the tens of thousands of immigrant minors lost by the Biden Administration within the United States.
Many ICE enforcement actions target individuals connected to these drug operations. By encouraging resistance to ICE, local governments make it easier for drug traffickers to embed themselves in communities, contributing to the opioid crisis and increasing overdose deaths—at direct cost to public health systems.
These mailers do not distinguish between non-violent immigrants and those with criminal records (drug dealers, traffickers, repeat offenders), potentially allowing dangerous individuals to avoid detention and deportation.
When local governments block ICE from apprehending criminal aliens, costs of policing local crime and victim services increase.
Enabling Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation
Illegal immigration networks often involve human trafficking rings that exploit migrants—especially women and children—for labor or sex trafficking. Some argue that by advising residents on how to resist ICE operations, the city may inadvertently be aiding individuals intent on sexually violating children to avoid apprehension. This stance raises concerns about the potential risks to community safety and the message it sends regarding the rule of law.
By obstructing ICE efforts, cities inadvertently allow traffickers and their networks to operate more freely, putting vulnerable populations at risk and increasing the burden on local law enforcement and social services (child welfare, victim advocacy programs, etc.)
Exploited children end up permanently harmed and often need financial assistance for life.
Undermining Rule of Law
The Providence City Council’s decision to fund and distribute mailers teaching residents how to resist ICE operations directly interferes with federal law enforcement.
The mailers instruct residents not to open their doors to ICE agents without a warrant signed by a judge and provide a detachable card to present to immigration officers. Critics argue that this guidance may impede federal immigration enforcement efforts and could be seen as encouraging non-compliance with federal law.
When local governments encourage non-compliance with federal immigration laws, it erodes the rule of law—a foundational principle of democracy—and creates confusion about legal authority. It also has the secondary effect of sweeping up non-criminal aliens that would otherwise be able to live in the US without issue, as they have for many years. When local governments encourage residents to resist constitutionally mandated, federal law enforcement officers leading to extreme measures, everyone on the scene must be accounted for through the legal system. Tragically, some of our best friends and neighbors get caught in the vortex of harbored criminals, ultimately ending in their deportation.
Criminals only become more ruthless and violent as local governments refuse to prosecute them.
Misusing Public Funds
The city allocated $17,000 for the production and distribution of these mailers. While the number may appear small, it has drawn criticism in light of a recent 8% increase in local taxes. Under Smiley’s budget plan, owners of single family homes would also see a 4% increase in their tax bill.
Opponents contend that using taxpayer money for materials that may assist individuals in evading federal authorities is an irresponsible use of public funds. This is, of course, only one expense supporting illegal immigration the city council has chosen to support. It could have gone to education or after school programs, but instead is guiding non-Americans how to erode US laws successfully by defying the most fundamental aspects of national security.
By shielding illegal immigrants from deportation, cities increase the long-term population of undocumented residents who rely on taxpayer-funded services like public education, emergency healthcare, and food assistance programs (e.g., WIC, SNAP for U.S.-born children of undocumented parents). These services cost state and federal taxpayers billions annually.
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