President Trump’s new executive orders regarding sanctuary cities were a welcome relief for many of us, but some of the mayors in our liberal coastal cities don’t seem to be comprehending the memo very well yet. There are multiple examples, but the latest is Martin Walsh, the mayor of Boston. To say he’s striking a “defiant tone” so far is to put it mildly. He’s pretty much declared war on federal law at this point and is designating City Hall to be a “safe space” for illegal aliens. (WBUR)

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh took a swift and firm stand in response to Trump’s order. With a visibly diverse group of city employees and local elected officials huddled around him, Walsh said the city has been, and always will be, a safe place for immigrants, no matter their status. “Boston was here for me and my family. And for as long as I am mayor, I will never turn my back on those who are seeking a better life,” he said… In fact, Walsh went so far as to open the doors to city hall itself for anyone fearing deportation. “That means if people want to live here, they’ll live here,” he said. “They can use my office. They can use any office in this building. Any place they want to use, they’ll be able to use this building as a safe space.”

Oh really? So illegal immigrants can pack up their belongings and go move in to City Hall, a building built, maintained and entirely paid for by the taxpayers? The 2010 census estimated that there were 160,000 illegals living in Massachusetts, and given the population distribution overall, a fair percentage of those are likely in Boston. How many rooms you got up in that building, Marty?

Listing to Walsh’s prepared remarks is a lesson in liberal lecturing these days. The local news coverage and the mayor’s comments continue the disturbing trend we’re seeing of people talking about immigrants and immigration without making any sort of distinction between criminals and those arriving in our country legally. Referring to illegal aliens simply as “immigrants” is accurate only insofar as one could refer to burglars as interior decorators.

So how long will Martin Walsh be standing strong on this subject? I’m sure it’s winning him a few points with his base at the moment but he should keep in mind that Beantown receives nearly a half a billion dollars in federal funding each year. I wonder how popular the mayor will be if a significant chunk of the money suddenly disappears and he’s got to either make up for it elsewhere or reduce services? I’m sure they would try to tie the matter up in court, but last I checked nobody was guaranteed federal funding, particularly if they run afoul of the law. What Uncle Sam giveth, Uncle Sam can taketh away.

Besides, I’m sure we could think of something else to do with a half billion dollars. I seem to recall something about an exciting new construction project starting on the southern border…