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Reported New DHS Assistant Secretary David Clarke is Full of Wingnut Comments About Immigrants, Blacks, and Muslims

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Sheriff David Clarke of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, has announced that he’ll be joining the Trump Administration as the newest DHS Assistant Secretary. He would be reporting to Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and working as a liaison with state and local law enforcement and governments. The position does not require Senate confirmation.

Clarke is bad pick for liaison to state and local agencies and governments

Clarke’s reported portfolio with DHS is an important role — Clarke himself said that one of his responsibilities would be to “take complaints of shortcomings” with DHS from local law enforcement officials who “feel like they’re being ignored.” One of those shortcomings may involve the Trump Administration’s insistence that local police be involved in immigration enforcement, a practice that many police officers oppose because it makes communities less safe. It’s also an example of the federal government railroading over local policies.

Unfortunately, Clarke would be a poor carrier for that message, as he supports the federal 287(g) program that would force police officers to double as immigration agents. Moreover, Clarke is unlikely to be a serious messenger for any issue, as he is completely and seriously wing-nut crazy — as a glance through his tweets will show. The group Voces de la Frontera, which is based in Milwaukee, is a Clarke constituent, and includes some of the people who know Clarke best, put out a press release saying that Clarke is “unfit for any office”. And the DHS official whom Clarke would be replacing had a tweetstorm of things to say about Clarke’s rumored appointment:

Current DHS Assistant Secretary: Clarke “can’t do” job

Here’s a record of what Sheriff Clarke has said and done:

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