Dave Skocik of Dover is the president of the Delaware Veterans Coalition.
On Memorial Day, as our members do three times a year, Chapter 850 of the Vietnam Veterans of America will read the names of 44 Kent Countians who paid the ultimate price in conflicts since the Korean War.
This is only one of thousands of ceremonies across the nation that will honor and remember the men and women who secured the freedoms we take for granted. Their numbers don’t include the patriots who later died from physical and psychological injuries.
Veterans who have seen the devastation of war remain concerned about the 10 million people who illegally entered our nation, many of whom were transported to cities and towns by the previous administration amid denials it was happening. It was a Trojan horse multiplied by thousands in every state.
Yet many of today’s legislators continue to support unvetted invaders, including murderers, drug smugglers, gang members, child rapists, human traffickers and people identified as national security threats. Add the cost of housing, health care, food, education and, in some cases, the incarceration of criminals admitted without credentials or background checks.
Sens. Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester, as well as Rep. Sarah McBride, all D-Del., continue to vote against funding the agencies established after the horrific attacks of 9/11. Their opposition to the U.S. Office of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard, plus their belief in abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will make them accessories to the attacks on our institutions, citizens, faith groups and electric, water and communication infrastructure predicted by our intelligence agencies and promised by our enemies.
Last fall, more than 13,000 air traffic controllers worked without pay for more than a month (with some resigning), while our three federal representatives voted against paying them. More critical than the long passenger delays and canceled flights was the real danger of exhausted and unpaid controllers working 60-hour weeks and not catching an error, which could have resulted in a midair collision killing hundreds of innocent travelers. As a former military and Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller, I’ve witnessed near-collisions by distracted pilots and controllers.
That was followed by their refusal to pay the Transportation Security Administration professionals who ensure that passengers are not carrying explosives to bring down an aircraft in flight. Either they didn’t care, or they place lockstep politics above risks to their fellow Americans.
Lawmakers who not only actively oppose enforcement of immigration laws but threaten police and federal officers charged with protecting the citizens who elected them should be held accountable. Not coincidentally, many of the same officials also oppose requiring an ID to vote, condescendingly claiming that citizens don’t understand how to get a free ID or are confused by marriage name changes.
A government report released March 30 indicated that there were 1,288 ICE arrests in Delaware between Oct. 5, 2022, and March 10, 2026. It reported 135 arrests so far this year, with some single days charting multiple detentions.
Not reported was the number of Delawareans who suffered assaults, robberies and even death at the hands of people who should not be here. For transparency, their losses should be acknowledged and publicized, so we know the true damage caused by them and their supporters.
Delaware legislators on both sides of the aisle work extremely hard on legislation that serves and protects our citizens. That said, several bills have recently been proposed that would challenge the safety of law enforcement.
House Bill 367 would require all local and federal law enforcement agencies to require officers to display IDs while on duty, including his or her agency and his or her name or badge number. In Minnesota, this allowed officers to be photographed and doxed, encouraging physical attacks and threats to them and their families.
House Bill 368 would prohibit police from detaining or extending the detention of anyone based solely on an immigration detainer or civil immigration warrant, except for violent felons, registered sex offenders, repeat DUI offenders or domestic violence perpetrators. The challenge is that some of the suspects they encounter may be turned loose while ICE is confirming their crimes.
President Barack Obama deported millions without objection by elected officials, while the current administration faces legal challenges from those who believe everyone has the right to be here. They do not. It’s time for our lawmakers, who have sworn to support the Constitution and our laws, to decide which audience is more important: their constituents or the people who broke into our nation.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
