Letter: Enough of the mindless immigrant xenophobia

This is in response to a letter to the editor, ostensibly commenting on the status of the current national political process. However, the letter writer primarily concentrates on the same immigration-oriented misinformation, lies, and general stupidity long a focus of the right-wing. The writer states as fact information long discredited by numerous national statistics.

Where to start? There are no open borders. There are more personnel guarding the border than at any time in history — that includes 20,000 border agents, fences, and technology, totaling more than $90 billion over 10 years. More individuals have been deported in the last seven years than ever before.

Legal Hispanic citizens have a right to vote for whom they want — may I assume that certain politicians of a notable party aren’t pandering for anti-immigration voters? National data indicate that undocumented workers rarely, if ever, take jobs from U.S. workers. One example: What would the agriculture business be without immigrant labor?

Undocumented workers come to America for the same reason of other ethnic groups before them — for a better, safer life for themselves and their children. Speaking of children, those born in this country are legal whether the writer likes it or not —that’s what the Constitution’s 14th Amendment says. Immigrants do not receive food stamps, welfare, or Medicaid — shame on these continuing lies.

Finally, if people in the U.S. would stop using drugs, maybe drugs wouldn’t be flooding us. Enough of the mindless immigrant xenophobia already.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 12:05 PM with the headline "Letter: Enough of the mindless immigrant xenophobia."