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Criticism of ICE insults officers who are upholding law

Kelly Nantel, press secretary, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Washington

Raul Reyes, a New York attorney, wrote a Forum piece saying Immigration and Customs Enforcement's raid at a worksite in Postville, Iowa, caused an increase in homelessness, crime and public drunkenness. With a broad pen stroke, he wrote that ICE's raids "are, in essence, government-sanctioned racial profiling," and he suggests that its agents would conduct operations differently in white neighborhoods or against Anglo suspects ("What are ICE raids accomplishing?," The Forum, Friday).

These claims are offensive to the men and women charged with enforcing our nation's immigration laws.

Reyes also stated that the identity thefts committed by illegal immigrant workers are "a far cry from robbing someone of their money or property by stealing their identity." Tell that to those who've been denied health care benefits, home mortgages and social assistance based upon income reported by illegal immigrant workers who used stolen identity information to obtain their jobs.

It's very clear Reyes doesn't have firsthand knowledge of ICE's enforcement activities. We take care to address humanitarian concerns in our work. Certainly, we understand the desire to promote comprehensive immigration reform, but in endeavoring to make a case, Reyes should get the facts first and refrain from insulting the officers who are simply carrying out their sworn duty to uphold the law.

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