Opinion: We don’t live in the kind of world where Trump’s deportation policies would be effective

To the editor: Reading about the actions of the Trump administration related to the deportation of undocumented immigrants, I have to ask those who did not vote in 2016 or voted against Hillary Clinton because of some animus toward her as a person how they feel about President Trump. We have ended up with a government that sees only black and white even though we live in a society of nuanced grays. (“This is how Trump’s expanded deportation policy is being felt across the U.S.,” Feb. 22)

Farmers need laborers. People who hire nannies and housekeepers often turn a blind eye to their immigration status. The businesses that expect their buildings to be cleaned during the evening hours often hire individuals who live in the gray area.

Living in a democracy is a a privilege. Hopefully, citizens will realize that every vote can make a difference and that we need and deserve a government that can look at the big picture and find areas of agreement in the gray area of life. Both Democrats and Republicans must realize they represent everyone, not just the few who voted for them.

Lori Haythorn, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Thanks to The Times for its continuing coverage of the Trump administration’s recently unveiled immigration policies.

Our new president’s policies have caused college aid applications from undocumented immigrants to decline precipitously (how is that possibly good for our county?); caused untold anxiety among immigrants living all around us who now fear to even walk in their neighborhoods; have blocked Syrian refugees; resulted in the deportation of a mother of two teenagers who has worked, paid taxes and raised her kids for 17 years in the U.S. (anyone feel safer?); and soured our relationship with our neighbor to the south, Mexico.

I’ve criticized other presidential policies frequently in the past, but I never ever thought I’d be ashamed of my country.

Ken Goldman, Beverly Hills

..

To the editor: It is time to look at the real cost of mass immigration into the United States.

If we permit too many immigrants to come, it really does mean fewer jobs and lower pay for Americans, as well as a significant cultural change for the country. This isn’t to say people from other nations are less intelligent or less moral than we are in the United States; it just means that at some point we need to say that there are millions of people from poor nations that want to come to the U.S. because they want better jobs and a better place to live.

Their desire to come here is understandable, but if we let all people enter the United States, we risk lowering the standard of living for the country. Traditional American culture cannot solve the lack of birth control in underdeveloped areas of the world.

We have a brutal but realistic choice to make.

Lou Rosen, Pacific Palisades

..

To the editor: Why have we heard little about a crackdown on the employers of illegal immigrants?

Businesses that employ cheap labor have little incentive to check immigration status. If they check at all, they often accept documents they should know are forged, knowing full well that they will probably not face prosecution for doing so. Using the the E-Verify system is simply a way for them to further absolve themselves of liability.

Our economy depends on illegal labor, and yet many who benefit from it support politicians who use illegal immigrants as a scapegoat for all the ills of society. As a nation we must address this hypocrisy.

Steve Mills, Glendale

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook