As of late, liberal state and local governments are increasing their efforts to evade federal immigration laws and protect dangerous criminals rather than their own taxpaying citizens. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers recently reported that two alleged child rapists are on the run after New York and New Jersey police departments refused to hold the suspects in jail and cooperate with ICE.

The first illegal immigrant was arrested in New Jersey for allegedly restraining and sexually assaulting a child younger than 16 years old. ICE filed to have the man held at a New Jersey county jail for the next two days, but the request was denied, and the alleged rapist was released.

The second illegal immigrant was arrested in New York for allegedly raping a child under the age of 17 years old. The New York county jail holding him didn’t contact ICE and the man was released a day later after posting bail.

While ICE is working diligently to track down these dangerous criminals, New Jersey and New York have taken steps to fight federal law and to let illegal immigrants walk free. Last year, New Jersey’s attorney general ordered counties to stop cooperating with ICE, and New York City, recently, has taken it a step further by even limiting its own citizens’ free speech.

New York City recently made it illegal for people to use the term “illegal alien” and to threaten to call ICE based on a “discriminatory motive.” Violators of this unconstitutional and draconian ordinance may result in a $250,000 fine. Not only does New York City want to protect illegal immigrants, but the city wants to restrict your right to free speech as well.

In another part of the country, a police officer following federal law was suspended from duty. In a Virginia county, Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. was suspended after cooperating with ICE by turning over an illegal immigrant he stopped for not having a valid driver’s license. When he ran the name, it returned a flag from ICE detailing the immigrant was a fugitive after failing to appear for a deportation hearing. Roessler was told by the county he violated department policy because he “deprived a person of their freedom.”

State and local governments have a responsibility to consider the safety and well-being of its citizens. When they stop considering their own taxpaying, law-abiding citizens and start putting the interests and well-being of illegal immigrants and criminals, then state and local governments have failed.