Liberty or Laws? -- Government and Patriots Aiding and Abetting Criminal Activity

[Gary Hunt]

Liberty or Laws?
Government and Patriots Aiding and Abetting Criminal Activity

Gary Hunt
Outpost of Freedom
August 10, 2014

 

If a crime is being committed, and you assist in that criminal activity, you are guilty of a crime.  If you aid someone who has committed a crime, assisting them in the completion of that crime, you have committed a crime.  Of these two statements, there can be little doubt of those conclusions -- that to act, in any way, in the commission or completion of a crime, is criminal.  So, let's look at some crimes that some federal and state officers, and, yes, even many border patriots, are guilty of.

8 USC § 1324 - Bringing in and harboring certain aliens

(a) Criminal penalties

(1)

(A) Any person who -

(i) knowing that a person is an alien, brings to or attempts to bring to the United States in any manner whatsoever such person at a place other than a designated port of entry or place other than as designated by the Commissioner, regardless of whether such alien has received prior official authorization to come to, enter, or reside in the United States and regardless of any future official action which may be taken with respect to such alien;

(ii) knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, transports, or moves or attempts to transport or move such alien within the United States by means of transportation or otherwise, in furtherance of such violation of law;

***

(v)

(I) engages in any conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts, or

(II) aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts, shall be punished as provided in subparagraph (B).

***

(B) A person who violates subparagraph (A) shall, for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs -

(i) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(i) or (v)(I) or in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(ii), (iii), or (iv) in which the offense was done for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both;

(ii) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(ii), (iii), (iv), or (v)(II), be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both;

***

(2) Any person who, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has not received prior official authorization to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, brings to or attempts to bring to the United States in any manner whatsoever, such alien, regardless of any official action which may later be taken with respect to such alien shall, for each alien in respect to whom a violation of this paragraph occurs -

(A) be fined in accordance with title 18 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; or

(B) in the case of -

(i) an offense committed with the intent or with reason to believe that the alien unlawfully brought into the United States will commit an offense against the United States or any State punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year,

***

(4) In the case of a person who has brought aliens into the United States in violation of this subsection, the sentence otherwise provided for may be increased by up to 10 years if -

(A) the offense was part of an ongoing commercial organization or enterprise;

(B) aliens were transported in groups of 10 or more; and

(C)

(i) aliens were transported in a manner that endangered their lives; or

(ii) the aliens presented a life-threatening health risk to people in the United States.

(b) Seizure and forfeiture

(1) In general

Any conveyance, including any vessel, vehicle, or aircraft, that has been or is being used in the commission of a violation of subsection (a) of this section, the gross proceeds of such violation, and any property traceable to such conveyance or proceeds, shall be seized and subject to forfeiture.

 So, "any person who, knowing that a person is an alien, brings to or attempts to bring to the United States in any manner whatsoever such person at a place other than a designated port of entry or place other than as designated by the Commissioner, or, "engages in any conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts", or, "aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts, shall be punished..."

As far as punishment, any person who commits those named crimes "shall, for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs..."  That is for "each alien".

Punishment can be from one to 10 years, fines, and seizure of property (Asset Forfeiture), and a criminal record, precluding future ownership of firearms.

If you read the entire statute (presented above), you will find that there are even a few more "enhancements" that can rack up even more penalties.

Well, if that hasn't awakened you, let's continue:

42 U.S. Code § 264 - Regulations to control communicable diseases

(a) Promulgation and enforcement by Surgeon General

The Surgeon General, with the approval of the Secretary, is authorized to make and enforce such regulations as in his judgment are necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the States or possessions, or from one State or possession into any other State or possession.  For purposes of carrying out and enforcing such regulations, the Surgeon General may provide for such inspection, fumigation, disinfection, sanitation, pest extermination, destruction of animals or articles found to be so infected or contaminated as to be sources of dangerous infection to human beings, and other measures, as in his judgment may be necessary.

(b) Apprehension, detention, or conditional release of individuals

Regulations prescribed under this section shall not provide for the apprehension, detention, or conditional release of individuals except for the purpose of preventing the introduction, transmission, or spread of such communicable diseases as may be specified from time to time in Executive orders of the President upon the recommendation of the Secretary, in consultation with the Surgeon General.

(c) Application of regulations to persons entering from foreign countries

Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, regulations prescribed under this section, insofar as they provide for the apprehension, detention, examination, or conditional release of individuals, shall be applicable only to individuals coming into a State or possession from a foreign country or a possession.

(d) Apprehension and examination of persons reasonably believed to be infected

(1) Regulations prescribed under this section may provide for the apprehension and examination of any individual reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease in a qualifying stage and

(A) to be moving or about to move from a State to another State; or

(B) to be a probable source of infection to individuals who, while infected with such disease in a qualifying stage, will be moving from a State to another State.  Such regulations may provide that if upon examination any such individual is found to be infected, he may be detained for such time and in such manner as may be reasonably necessary.  For purposes of this subsection, the term “State” includes, in addition to the several States, only the District of Columbia.

(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term “qualifying stage”, with respect to a communicable disease, means that such disease—

(A) is in a communicable stage; or

(B) is in a precommunicable stage, if the disease would be likely to cause a public health emergency if transmitted to other individuals.

(e) Preemption

Nothing in this section or section 266 of this title, or the regulations promulgated under such sections, may be construed as superseding any provision under State law (including regulations and including provisions established by political subdivisions of States), except to the extent that such a provision conflicts with an exercise of Federal authority under this section or section 266 of this title.

Now, when it comes to communicable disease, the discretion is left with the Surgeon General, though we have not been informed of any proactive decision that would protect us from the infestations coming across the border.  We do find that our hands are tied, since subsection (b) states that this section, "shall not provide for the apprehension, detention, or conditional release of individuals."  Wow, a law with no teeth, unless the President provides such teeth.  Interesting that Congress abrogated their responsibility in providing protection for communicable diseases crossing the border, especially, illegally.

However perhaps we do find some salvation subsection (e), "Nothing in this section..., or the regulations promulgated under such section, may be construed as superseding any provision under State law (including regulations and including provisions established by political subdivisions of States)."  So, if a state has a quarantine law, these statutes would not supersede it.  It seems like some emergency legislation in the Border States is in order.

So, we can see that "Laws" make criminals out of anybody that aids and abets the commission of the crime of allowing illegals gain entry into the country.  Though we know that the feds have yet to enforce that provision, it is quite possible that they could choose to apply that law selectively, disregarding such criminal activity on the part of state officials, but enforce it against patriots who are attempting to ease the burden on the overworked state and federal officials.  And the punishment could even exceed what one might get for manslaughter or second-degree murder.

When it comes to aiding people illegally entering the country, and bringing with them communicable diseases, it is possible that the Surgeon General and/or the President have created rules that would make assisting them into the country a criminal act, though it, too, would probably only be enforced against patriots.  Even without consideration of the implications, if such rules exists, is the disfavor of the American People for assisting in getting these diseased border crossers into the hands of the federal government so that they can be fairly distributed throughout the country, for maximum effect.

As James Madison said, in Federalist Papers #57:

It poisons the blessing of liberty itself.  It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is today, can guess what it will be tomorrow.  Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed?

Can we even begin to rely upon the self-serving laws promulgated by the Congress, or even worse, Congress abrogating legislative authorities, and turning them over to the Executive Branch of government?  Or, can we determine, for ourselves, using just a little common sense, what is necessary to stop both the invasion and the communicable diseases coming across our Southern border?

We (We the People) did create this government, and we have every right to assume, for ourselves, according to the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution.

Ninth Amendment

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Tenth Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Do we determine that the ultimate power lies with us, the people, or that we are subject to the laws, no matter how ridiculous or impractical, when they are made in violation of the intent of the Constitution?

 

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