We’re seeing the toxic effect of mass immigration – especially illegal immigration

Illegal immigrants in California, bordering Mexico, have gone from too few to worry about to too many to confront and for days protesters have battled immigration officials, police and the National Guard.

Even many Liberals dismiss the “culture wars”, as if they’re just stupid word-wars.

But the past fortnight shows these culture wars can also be real ones, with Los Angeles,Ballymena and Paris in flames.

These are real culture “wars”, thanks to mass immigration.

The past fortnight shows these culture wars can also be real ones. Picture: AP

In Los Angeles, a Hispanic state assemblyman, Democrat José Luis Solache, last Friday spotted federal immigration officials, and live-videoed their address.

They were soon under attack, with cars burning and rocks flying.

For years, California has said it’s a sanctuary state, resisting attempts to enforce federal immigration laws – especially attempts to deport America’s estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.

California has resisted attempts to enforce federal immigration laws. Picture: AFP

But President Donald Trump was elected on one promise above all – to stop illegal immigrants and deport a million.

But illegal immigrants in California, bordering Mexico, have gone from too few to worry about to too many to confront, and for days protesters have battled immigration officials, police and the National Guard, with Trump now deploying even Marines to restore order.

True, many rioters aren’t illegal immigrants but anarchists and the hard-Left.

But you can’t miss all the Mexican flags, as if flown by an invading army.

A protester waves the Mexican flag amid the riots. Picture: AFP

I’ve heard interviews with protesters like this one: “This is our city and this was Mexico. You can’t kick us out of the land that was ours.”

On CNN, Hispanic anchor Maria Elena Salinas defended the riots against Trump’s attempts to deport illegal immigrants: “Remember that California was part of Mexico.’”

We’re seeing the toxic effect of mass immigration – especially illegal immigration – just as we’ve embraced the poison of identity politics, defining and dividing ourselves by race.

Yes, that culture war.

Multiple protesters have said in interviews: ‘This is our city and this was Mexico’. Picture: AFP

Meanwhile, as Los Angeles burned, so did Ballymena, in Northern Ireland, as rioters attacked police and burned cars and houses.

This time the rioters weren’t for immigration but against it.

They’d erupted after an alleged sexual assault on Saturday, with police arresting two teenage boys who – social media posts claimed – needed a Romanian interpreter.

Rioters in Ballymena, Northern Ireland have attacked police and burned cars. Picture: Getty

And, two weeks ago Paris also became a battlefield, in this case after soccer fans celebrated a win, although footage showed once again that many seemed of African and Middle Eastern ancestry in a country notoriously struggling to assimilate these minorities.

Australian politicians should take “culture wars” more seriously.

National identity matters – as does a feeling of belonging, of community.

Break that down or threaten it, and you risk real danger, from newcomers and locals alike.

Originally published as We’re seeing the toxic effect of mass immigration – especially illegal immigration