Editor,

For the past few months, nearly every issue of the Whidbey News-Times has been filled with letters to the editor attacking the current administration for one thing or another. Very few seem willing to accept the results of the last election or to acknowledge what this administration was actually elected to do.

Growing up in northern Idaho, we learned an important lesson early: You don’t always win. When our team lost, we didn’t demand a rematch, change the rules, or insist the winners didn’t really win. We accepted the result and moved forward together. That’s how a functioning democracy works.

In the years before President Trump’s election, the Biden administration’s approach to border security sent a clear message that anyone who wanted to cross the border illegally and without proper vetting could take a chance at entering the United States. Many Americans saw this as dangerous and irresponsible. In response, they voted overwhelmingly for a candidate who promised to secure the border, enforce immigration laws, and put America first.

President Trump campaigned on closing the border, removing illegal immigrants and prioritizing American citizens. Once in office, he moved quickly to follow through on those promises. Despite loud objections from far left activists and sanctuary jurisdictions, his administration has removed thousands of criminal illegal aliens from many different countries. When President Obama directed ICE to do much the same thing, he openly defended it as necessary for public safety. At that time, Democrats, Republicans and most of the media had very little to say in opposition.

Now, however, many Democrats are pushing an agenda that portrays ICE as cruel, illegitimate or “too aggressive.” Some even call for the agency to be abolished. This rhetoric has consequences. We have seen ICE agents confronted with fireworks, vehicles driven toward them, violent assaults, and other life threatening situations. These agents are trained to arrest illegal immigrants safely and professionally—not to manage hostile, politically charged protest crowds without local support.

ICE relies on local law enforcement to maintain order and enforce basic laws during demonstrations. When local officials refuse to cooperate — or even encourage resistance — they make a dangerous situation worse for everyone involved. The ongoing campaign to resist the outcome of the last election only deepens our divisions and undermines confidence in our institutions.

At a recent special meeting of Whidbey Island commissioners, our elected leaders spent much of their time discussing how to limit ICE’s ability to do its job: removing illegal immigrants. One of the few constructive moments came when the sheriff was asked whether ICE could enter a public event and arrest people. His answer was simple and correct: “My law enforcement brain says if another crime occurred at a public event, we would enforce the law.”

Entering any country without proper application and legal acceptance is against the law — not just here, but almost everywhere in the world. If people want open borders and no vetting, they should work through Congress and push to change the immigration laws. Until then, Americans do not get to pick and choose which laws they feel like following — or enforcing.

Terry Sparks

Oak Harbor