It is becoming increasingly obvious that the leadership of the Democratic Party is making support for illegal immigration, even violent gangs such as MS-13, a litmus test for Democrat members of Congress. Even their attack upon the right of Americans to keep and bear arms now takes a back seat for their agenda item of increased illegal immigration.

This week, Republicans were successful in getting a Democrat background check bill amended to include a provision that immigration officials — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — would be alerted should an illegal alien attempt to buy a gun. It is illegal under federal law for a person in the country illegally to purchase a firearm.

Given the concern that those on the Left express about “gun violence,” one would think that the Democrat leadership would gladly add such a provision to their bill. But apparently, in the hierarchy of goals of the Left, keeping an illegal alien in the country is more important than their supposed concern about keeping guns out of the “wrong” hands. American citizens’ right to keep and bear arms can be abridged, but an illegal alien cannot be deported — even for breaking the law.

Representative Doug Collins (R-Ga.) took to the floor Wednesday and said, “The motion to recommit will notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, when an illegal alien who is prohibited from possessing a firearm attempts to purchase a firearm by going through the process of application.”

Twenty-six Democrats joined most of the Republicans in support of the amendment to notify immigration officials, causing the motion to pass 220-209. Rather than hail the effort to keep a gun out of the hands of an illegal alien, the Democrats chose to ditch their own bill. In other words, it could be argued that Democrats oppose American citizens obtaining a gun, but not illegal aliens.

Greg Steube (R-Fla.) said the obvious: “Clearly, the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee don’t care about preventing gun violence, they simply are playing politics with Americans’ Second Amendment rights. The fact that Democrats do not want law enforcement notified if an individual attempting to purchase a firearm fails a background check is truly disturbing.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was reportedly quite angry with the 26 Democrats who voted to notify law enforcement that an illegal alien had attempted to buy a gun. She warned Democrat members of Congress they are not to vote with the Republicans on such procedural votes, but rather to vote as they are told by leadership. “This is Congress, not a day at the beach,” Pelosi was quoted as saying.

Not to be outdone, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a democratic socialist, threatened to alert progressive activists when Democrats vote with Republicans on motions of this type.

Such devotion to protecting illegal immigrants is not new for Pelosi. One might recall that she was incensed when President Trump compared MS-13 members, a gang of violent thugs from El Salvador, to animals. Trump was trying to raise the alarm about the increasing threat from MS-13. A prime example of this threat is in Ocasio-Cortez’s own New York City. The New York Police Department is warning its officers about possible violent actions of MS-13 against them, especially when they are off-duty. NYPD has told officers, “Members of MS-13 are looking to ‘hit’ NYPD police officers, specifically in the Brentwood/Central Islip area as well as possibly Patchogue.” There are reports that these gangs are finding out where officers live, so they can be attacked at home.

The apparent motive is to gain “street credibility.”

Former FBI agent Manny Gomez said, “Whenever a law enforcement officer is being threatened, especially by an organization like MS-13 which we already know is uber violent and has killed numerous people throughout the country if not throughout the world, this has to be taken serious[ly].” MS-13 is involved in all types of illegal activity in the New York City area, including murder, drugs, and child prostitution.

All of this highlights the blasé attitude held by those on the Left about illegal entry into the country, leaving one to conclude that their belief is that they can use the votes of illegal aliens to stay in power, and that trumps all other considerations.

Just this past week, on one day — Wednesday — agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector reported apprehending more than 1,300 persons attempting to enter the country illegally. On a typical day, Border Patrol agents catch more than 600 persons attempting to cross the border without permission.

Border Patrol officials issued a written statement: “At the current rate, the Rio Grande Valley Sector is on pace to reach 240,000 apprehensions for this fiscal year.”

The immigration problem is clearly out of control. Dangerous criminals are streaming across the border, along with non-violent migrants, and yet, Nancy Pelosi and other Democrat leaders in Congress are so desirous of a continuing source of new Democrat voters that they are willing to leave Americans vulnerable to violent illegal aliens.

Image: Screenshot from ICE.gov