As the Biden era comes to an end, one image will come to define the immigration lawlessness of this era.

After an illegal alien linked to the Venezuelan transnational gang Tren de Aragua was arrested for allegedly performing a lewd act after breaking into the home of a New York City prosecutor, a photo went viral on the internet and social media of the alien giving a wry smirk during a court appearance.

Image: Screen shot from Eyewitness News ABC7NY video, via YouTube

While the illegal alien, 25-year-old Brandon Simosa, is now being held without bail, he had previously had several run-ins with the law, including alleged incidents of thefts and assault, according to the New York Post. Despite Simosa allegedly engaging in repeated criminal activity and living in the country illegally, the sanctuary city of New York had given him a pass until he allegedly robbed one of their own prosecutors.

New York City was ranked by the Immigration Reform Law Institute in 2022 as the most dangerous sanctuary city in the U.S. for its consistent coddling of criminal illegal aliens. The city’s chief law enforcement officer is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a notoriously soft-on-crime prosecutor and staunch supporter of New York’s sanctuary policies. Now, Bragg’s malfeasance has led to the victimization of someone in his own office, an unfortunate irony that was noticed across social media, including by X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk. As the New York Post’s Jennie Taer remarked: “They think they're untouchable here. It makes sense when they're let go multiple times, like this monster.”

The unfortunate incident underscores the persistent culture of lawlessness that has engulfed New York, especially when it comes to immigration. The city’s illegal immigration problem has become so pervasive that even the powerful are no longer safe from its consequences, although it should certainly be noted that the city’s elite seemed content to allow this particular alleged criminal illegal alien to continue menacing the city’s residents until he apparently came for one of their own.

This latest incident is one of many unnecessary and unfortunate offenses perpetuated by those who should never have been in the country in the first place. Given the tragic results of illegal alien crime we’ve seen throughout the country just this year, with the murders of several innocent young women, including Laken Riley and Rachel Morin, it is a great relief that the outcome of this alleged robbery didn’t turn out even worse.

That our government continues to tolerate high levels of illegal immigration even as Americans are continually victimized by illegal aliens is one of the greatest derelictions of duty in U.S. history. Since taking office in January 2021, Joe Biden has allowed more than 10 million illegal aliens to enter the U.S., and is spending his final weeks in office attempting to further degrade American sovereignty. This administration and their allies in sanctuary cities are responsible for creating a culture of lawlessness that emboldens illegal aliens to commit crimes with a smile.

The reason so many illegal aliens including Simosa feel they are above the law is because the most powerful people have sent a clear message that there are no consequences for violating our nation’s laws. When foreign nationals who enter the U.S. illegally are rewarded with free meals, stays at luxury hotels, and debit cards, it demonstrates that our nation’s elites are happy to disregard the rule of law when it comes to classes and constituencies they believe will benefit them politically. After all, if foreign nationals are allowed and even encouraged to violate America’s immigration laws, why would they respect any of our other laws?

That someone who entered the country illegally and allegedly went on to commit several crimes felt like he could attack a law enforcement official without consequence is an indictment not just of the illegal alien, but of the nation’s irresponsible ruling class. Political leaders including Joe Biden and Alvin Bragg have spent years allowing foreign nationals to violate our laws with impunity at the expense of the safety and sovereignty of U.S. citizens. Their culture of lawlessness was firmly rejected by the American people at the ballot box in November’s election as more and more people have become fed up with the consequences of illegal immigration.

No photo sums up the absurd immigration lawlessness the U.S. has endured over the past four years than the photo of Simosa smirking in court after allegedly assaulting a prosecutor. It is up to the incoming Trump administration to follow through on their promises of border security and mass deportations to ensure the American people get the last laugh.

Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.

Image: Screen shot from Eyewitness News ABC7NY video, via YouTube