The president is the commander-in-chief. He is charged with commanding our military forces — the army, the navy, the militia. Without this force supporting his actions, the president’s power is little more than ceremonial. What happens, then, when local authorities undermine the president’s use of force?

“To be in the country undocumented is [a] civil issue,” New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said at a press conference, according to video published Nov. 25. “We will not enforce civil law, and so, our support is to make sure they’re not going to get hurt, and our community is not in danger.”