Ivan Orisek’s contention that there’s confusion about immigration here in the United States is incorrect.  Our country was built on immigration.  The words of Emma Lazarus on the Statue of Liberty welcome immigrants. 

President Trump is not enforcing the immigration law; he is attacking people, many of whom are legally working here and paying taxes, $16 billion a year into Social Security and Medicare, and not eligible to collect any benefits. ( Center for Immigration Studies)   Some are legal US citizens!  

ICE refuses to look at their papers and even attacks people finalizing their paperwork in courthouses.  When President Trump was running for president, he said they would look for “criminals,” not people working on farms, stores, restaurants and other places of employment.  

I, like many other Americans, am shocked by what I see daily.  

Regarding Mr Orisek’s use of the word “illegal” and not “undocumented” shows where his allegiance lies.  No person is “illegal”; they are undocumented, trying to survive and make a new life for themselves, just like he did.  

Mr. Orisek was lucky to be able to get citizenship, but many are not so lucky.  We shouldn’t slam the door on them because their countries didn’t have an agreement with the U.S.   

There was a proposed bipartisan border bill that would have solved the border problem and created a pathway to citizenship for many of the people who are trying to stay here.  It was written by Sen. Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma.  When Trump was running for office last year, he ordered all Republicans not to vote for it, so he would have something to run on—and he did.  So much for caring about the border!

Jane Creteau
Lakeville, PA