There are ways to discourage illegal immigration
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While a mass deportation of illegal immigrants is unrealistic for a variety of reasons, other options would have a gradual effect that may help alleviate the flood of illegals and the subsequent influxes of relatives that follow.

Eliminating the multitude of social services currently made available to undocumented residents and their families would further dry up the environment that draws them here. This can begin to reduce illegal immigration without creating the Achilles' heel of amnesty.


A moratorium on workplace raids has the same result as a total disregard for our laws - larger waves of illegal immigrants making the journey to this country to cash in on the porous system. If those detained in raids were honest about their family members, then they could take their whole family back with them when returned to their rightful country, thus eliminating the problem of "tearing families apart," which your editorial decries ("City Action No Answer to Immigration Issues," Nov. 20).

It's time to move forward on checking Social Security numbers, allowing the laws to work with regard to spotting phony identities. If the laws are not enforced by the feds, our own infrastructure will continue to be overburdened.

Our own citizens need to know the true costs of U.S. citizen-produced goods and services and that day of reckoning is not well-served by editorials pandering to law-breakers on the basis of "realism." It's not reality to expect us to subsidize bad behavior by our employers or by anyone wanting a better life in America.

That path to citizenship for 12 million undocumented immigrants ought to begin in their own country. Wanting a better future shouldn't begin with breaking the law of a host country, and then expecting a pass based on emotional appeal.

- Scott von Wachter,

Des Moines.