Thread: Letters to Editor in Maryland

Wednesday, March 28, 2007
No reason to tolerate illegal immigration

Both sets of my grandparents immigrated to the United States from Germany and brought my parents with them. Both sets of my grandparents immigrated to the United States and followed legal immigration protocol.

All worked very diligently and became successful — legally — and we were taught the same values.

There is no reason why tolerance for illegal immigrants seems to becoming commonplace. The illegal immigration situation is out of control. Everyone must follow the laws if they choose to live here and no special concessions should be given to fugitives who are in any country illegally.

One makes their own path in life and if one chooses to follow the path of a fugitive, don’t complain; it is your decision and no one else’s responsibility.

Kristen Schroeder Konate, Germantown

The March 21 article, ‘‘Police fear waning trust from immigrants,” reported that police are worried about distrust among illegal immigrants. This is due to police enforcing outstanding civil detainers that were issued when illegal immigrants failed to appear for deportation hearings.

In this article, Kim Propeack, director of community action at Casa of Maryland, suggested that police ignore these federal detainers and not take illegal immigrants into custody to be deported.

Police usually find out about these detainers on routine traffic stops when they do a warrant check on the driver.

‘‘These are people who haven’t broken any laws other than getting a traffic ticket, and they’re being arrested and taken to jail,” Propeack said. Did she forget that they broke the law by illegally entering this country in the first place and then failing to appear for the immigration hearing?

Another article (‘‘Civil deportation detainers take toll on families”) talks about a mother and two children who have fallen on hard times because the husband, who was here illegally, was deported.

The wife, who was interviewed for the article, admits she is illegally here as well. I have sympathy for the children, but if the parents did not enter this country illegally, they would not be in this situation.

This country welcomes immigrants from all over the world who take the proper steps to enter legally, not illegally.

Keith Swann, Rockville

I was pleased to read that local police are cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement by complying with civil detainers of illegal immigrants.

In the article, illegal immigrant Brenda Cruz asks how she can subject her children to her brother being killed in the family home in Guatemala.

In a related article, ‘‘Police worry about growing distrust among immigrants,” Kim Propeack says, ‘‘These are people who haven’t broken any laws other than getting a traffic ticket...” Someone should tell her that breaking immigration laws is a crime.

Dave Neimeyer, Rockville

The quote by Kim Propeack of Casa of Maryland was both jaw-dropping and highly illuminating.

Ms. Propeack claims these folks have broken no laws other than a traffic ticket. By my reasoning, however, we are talking about one or more violations of coming into this country illegally, one or more instances of obtaining work illegally, and one or more instances of ignoring summons, and that’s before the traffic ticket.

After picking my jaw off the floor, I got to thinking. If Ms. Propeack and others at Casa of Maryland honestly feel that there’s nothing illegal about coming into the United States and working without authorization, and nothing illegal about ignoring lawful orders to appear for hearings, then there’s no legal boundary at play in their mind and they are free to facilitate the illegal employment through county day labor centers.

Conclusion: Casa of Maryland is unfit to run the centers.

Craig Correa, Gaithersburg

http://www.gazette.net/stories/032807/m ... 2325.shtml

I have sympathy for the children, but if the parents did not enter this country illegally, they would not be in this situation.

I have ABSOLUTELY NO SYMPATHY WHATSOEVER FOR THE CHILDREN, OR THEIR ILLEGAL PARENTS. PERIOD!

I am so sick and tired of hearing the same drivel about illegal children---I say make the Anchor Baby citizenship laws NULL and VOID retroactively! Ship them all back---no holds barred---and stop this sickening whining about "feeling sorry" for lawbreakers!

They didn't break any laws other than getting a traffic ticket? What about jumping the border? Or is that just a natural desire. I see nothing in the Constitution about giving amnesty to people who illegally gain access to our nation's benefits, and way of life.