Can Illegal Immigration ‘Problem’ Be Resolved Before It’s Too Late?

Thank you for pointing out the downside of our unprecedented experiment with immigration (“Undermining American Workers,” by Fred Dickey, July 20). This is destined to become the most important issue in the nation. The routine refrain to the article is that we have always been a nation of immigrants. True, but not like this. We would do well to restore much lower levels of immigration.

John Rohe

Petoskey, Mich.

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Dickey’s article is based on fallacious reasoning as demonstrated by the following question, which he does not address: Who produces all of the food, apartments, automobiles and other goods and services that undocumented immigrants buy and use? Sweep away the racially tinged rhetoric, and the bottom line becomes clear: Dickey, like others who want to restrict immigration, does not like competition and is perfectly willing to make American consumers worse off to prevent it. The answer to the so-called “problem” of illegal immigration is not more oppressive and economically destructive regulations, but to expand freedom by making illegal immigration legal.

Gerald R. Lampton

La Crescenta

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Thank you for this article. I wish it had touched on the profound effect of undocumented immigration on the California public school system. Because we’re all so afraid of appearing racist, we don’t talk seriously or at length about the cost to California taxpayers. A serious discussion should begin with this question: Who benefits from the current situation?

Valerie Garcia

Fountain Valley

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It is rare to find an institution in California that is willing to take the heat from a thoughtful and compelling discussion of the politically incorrect side of this critical issue. What thoughtful people want are the facts necessary to form opinions without being labeled racist. Thank you for your courage and leadership.

J. Patrick Garner

Via the Internet

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My heart goes out to poor Mexicans whose government is glad to export them to find jobs in the U.S. But my heart really goes out to the millions who must compete with those illegal migrants. Why can’t law enforcement officers in America crack down on employers who hire illegals?

John DeBoer

Green Valley, Ariz.

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Dickey’s analysis of the immigration situation was very insightful, but his solution--computerized instant verification of employment status--was disappointing in that it does not address the difficult fundamental issues. As long as there are Mexican workers seeking jobs and employers willing to hire them, the transactions will take place and all the high-tech or “get-tough” measures will prove as futile as the war on drugs.

Frederick Singer

Huntington Beach

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This story was inflammatory, inaccurate and inconclusive. It laid the blame for California’s budget woes squarely at the feet of illegal immigrants. In fact it has more to do with the boom economy, the contraction of the tax base and bad budget planning. Suggesting that legal, nonskilled workers are being put at a disadvantage by illegals was a cheap shot. Nonskilled workers all over the world suffer from low wages because multinational companies can take advantage of cheap labor overseas.

Sarah Ross Wauters

Los Angeles

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It was refreshing to read such an honest and accurate piece on the terrible consequences of illegal immigration. It was also a terrifying look into the future.

D.A. King

Marietta, Ga.