Escape to New York—America’s Wide-Open Northern Border
2nd February 2024
A damaged pickup truck with no lights sped past me in the opposite direction in the middle of Malone, New York, up on America’s northern border with Canada. It was 5 p.m. on a dark winter evening, and the truck was going about 60, throwing off sparks and burning plastic. At least eight police cars were in pursuit. Seconds later, the 27-year-old driver crossed over the road and hit a stone monument. Amazingly, though he hit many cars on his mad ride, the guy didn’t kill anyone.
Even more amazing: This criminally reckless driver had done the same thing just two days before. On Jan. 19, he stole a Chevy truck and caused “multiple wrecked vehicles” while police chased him at high speed. According to local press, “He was arrested, arraigned, and released” thanks to New York’s lax bail law. Two days later, he came close to killing even more people. Including me.
This story illustrates how elites and anti-law-enforcement voters in far-off big cities determine the fates of rural and small-town Americans. It also shows how enforcing the law—arrests and detentions in particular—is effective in deterring law-breaking, including illegal immigration.