Despite the strikes last year against Iranian nuclear weapons sites, the fanatical Islamic Republic of Iran remained defiant. They insisted on continuing to pursue nuclear weapons and immediately started rebuilding their programs for weapons of mass destruction; and apparently that renewed threat was more imminent than most Americans realized. According to consistent Iranian statements for almost half century, their top priority is and always has been to destroy the United States and Israel, so there is no doubt if Iran ever obtained a nuclear weapon, they would use it promptly. Therefore, President Trump acted decisively to again destroy any Iranian offensive capability to ensure the mad mullahs never get the opportunity to launch nuclear weapons at us or our allies.

Now in the second week, the United States is at war with the radical Islamic Republic of Iran, so the possibility of increased terrorism around the world is a growing real threat. Recent intelligence reports that Iran may have sent an encrypted message to activate sleeper cells around the globe, but the problem is compounded in the USA because for 4 years of the Biden Administration our borders were wide open with little or no checks. We do know thousands of illegal aliens with ties to terrorism entered the country and disappeared, but even worse there are millions that invaded our country that no one knows who they are or where they are.

We can only guess where they are, but we don’t have to guess whether they are here. An Islamic Jihad shooter shot up a bar in Austin, Texas killing three and wounding fourteen; two radicalized Muslim teenagers threw two homemade bombs in New York City, thankfully they were duds. The American Embassy in Norway and US Consulate in Canada were shot at. We may not know how many and where, but we can be certain the threat is close and real.

With the United States in open conflict with the world’s number one exporter of terrorism, it’s obviously imperative that we redouble our security efforts on the homefront to protect our citizens and our country. That’s what Americans want, but Democrats see an opportunity for possible political gain. So, they don’t care what Americans want and worse, they don’t even care about Americans’ safety! That’s intolerable and unconscionable.

Ponder that. We are at war with the most belligerent regime on the planet with malicious ruthless proxies around the world and most likely an assortment of bad actors and sleeper cells right here in America looking to cause maximum carnage on the homefront. Yet, in the face of this active serious threat, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is shut down?!

The Transportation Security Administration, the Secret Service, and the United States Coast Guard are unfunded! The very people who protect us in the air, protect our shores, and protect our government are NOT getting paid!

Why, you ask? Democrats are holding the DHS budget hostage until they get Trump to rein in ICE and stop mass deporting criminal illegal immigrants. Trump cleverly ensured ICE was fully funded by the Big Beautiful Bill last year, so ICE is at work and getting paid. Who is suffering? The patriots at TSA, the Secret Service, and the Coast Guard who are still trying to do their jobs without pay and resources; and all Americans who are less safe in a time of grave danger. The threat causes anxiety, but long waits of 2 to 5 hours in TSA lines at airports are aggravating.

So, when the nation should be coming together to defeat our enemies and protect our people, Democrats are still trying to protect their partisan interests in preserving illegal immigration. They ignore the fact crime is going down because Trump is deporting illegal alien criminals and moan that the tactics are too heavy handed and “no one is illegal on stolen land.” There is a lot of angst about cruelty, and sputtering that every human deserves to be here, but they don’t care about any of that.

Democrats are panicking about the removal of millions of illegal immigrants because it will diminish their political power and make it harder to steal elections. Removing millions of illegal immigrants will take Congressional seats from blue states in the 2030 census and it’s harder to fake their votes when they are gone. This show down about ICE is really about preserving Democrats political power, and they are holding the DHS budget for the ransom of illegal alien votes.

Once again, Democrats put illegal immigrants first and Americans last. Democrats should be ashamed they are putting their partisan interests before American security, but they won’t be. Implore them to put Americans first and fund DHS. They probably won’t listen, so remember if there is a terrorist attack on our soil, Democrats should be held accountable. Moreover, remember in the midterm elections that self-serving Democrats can’t be trusted to put national security interests first, so vote them out!

“But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.” Romans 2:8

Pete Riehm is a Navy Veteran, conservative activist, and columnist in south Alabama. Email him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net or read all his columns at http://www.renewamerica.com/.