Acting to deter hiring of illegals
July 11, 2008

I, for one, am grateful to Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold for his outspokenness on illegal immigration and his initiatives to deter the employment of undocumented immigrants by local businesses ("Immigration politics," editorial July 3). He is listening to the people and taking the rule of law seriously.

As elected officials, we all pledge as part of our oath of office to enforce the laws of the land, even laws enacted by another level of government.

An individual who has entered the United States illegally has broken the laws of this nation and must be held accountable.

The fact that many businesses employ such individuals is a national travesty, as it creates an unfair business environment and leads to increased costs passed on to the taxpayers at all levels of government, all for the sake of personal profit.

On top of that, undocumented immigrants often reside in overcrowded homes and cause a great disturbance in the community in which they reside as they cling to their culture even when it is at odds with our own.

If there are no American businesses employing illegal immigrants, there will be no illegal immigration.

Julie M. Stankivic
Annapolis, MD

The writer is an alderwoman for the city of Annapolis.
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