OPEN BORDERS BRIGADE SHOCKED ICE IS, LIKE, ENFORCING BORDERS?

It seems the progressive illuminati of Santa Maria were caught entirely off guard last Thursday, as reports surfaced that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were, brace yourselves, enforcing immigration laws. The *Santa Barbara Independent*, ever the intrepid chronicler of local outrage, dutifully reported on the shock and horror of those who apparently believed 'borders' were merely a theoretical concept, much like fiscal responsibility or common sense in California.

According to whispers from the activist echo chamber, ICE agents are actually 'going after anybody,' which, if true, sounds remarkably like 'doing their job.' One might almost suspect the current administration in Washington, D.C., under the steady hand of President Trump, actually believes in national sovereignty – a concept as foreign to some local ideologues as a balanced budget. The protest, no doubt a riveting display of earnest sign-waving and ill-informed chants, served primarily to generate content for social media and reaffirm the participants' moral superiority, all while changing absolutely nothing about federal policy.

What the *Independent* failed to highlight, because it rarely follows the money when it doesn't lead to a Republican, is the quiet sigh of relief from beleaguered local taxpayers. They're the ones footing the bill for the social services strain caused by unfettered illegal immigration, while simultaneously being told they're 'xenophobes' for noticing basic economic realities. Perhaps instead of protesting federal agents, these activists could protest the cost of their own virtue signaling on the local populace. But that would require them to actually understand how an economy works, or to care about anyone outside their immediate, like-minded bubble.