To the editor:
Immigration is highly controversial. Many undocumented folks have been living and working in the US for years. Some crossed an unguarded border decades ago. Some stayed after their visas expired. Some came as members of specially protected groups, such as Afghan residents who assisted our troops.
Trump’s efforts to abruptly remove them all are a disaster. How does that fit with a President who has 34 felony convictions?
Over the decades, many of these folks settled in, became solid employees and contributing members of society. They raised families with children who are US citizens.
Some will say, “But they broke the law”. Yes, they did. Accountability is important. Overreaction, however, does more harm than good. The claims that these undocumented folks are the “worst of the worst” are not true and are driven, I believe, primarily by racism. There are “bad apples”. They are a small portion of the overall group, but they deserve deportation – no question.
The real problem is what to do with those who have become valued members of their communities. Bottom line – we need these people.
They have taken hard-to-fill low-skilled positions and contributed in high-skilled roles. More than 40 % of the US Nobel Prize winners in medicine are immigrants.
We have an aging population and a birth rate below that required to maintain a stable population. No economy can thrive without a steady supply of workers. It makes no sense to deport people who are solid contributors to our country.
For years, it has been apparent that we have a seriously dysfunctional immigration system. Congress has dodged the issue. It is well past time for Congress to set aside partisan differences, show some creativity (and courage), and enact a fair and workable system. The future of the country depends on it.
Dr. Tom Dean
Wessington Springs
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