Readers React: Continued immigration could crowd the U.S. with 500 million people next century

To the editor: The Times Editorial Board neglects to tell readers about the demographic consequences of U.S. immigration policy.

Right now, we admit between 1 million and 2 million immigrants per year, the most among world nations. This immigration will yield rapid population growth for the United States in the 21st century.

The U.S. is the third most populous country on the planet, behind China and India. The United Nations projects a figure of 400 million Americans by 2050 and 470 million by 2100, up from 280 million in 2000. The Pew Research Center projects that 88% of all U.S. population growth between 2015 and 2065 will be driven by immigrants and their children.

Put in perspective, a child born today will grow up in a country adding around 150 million people in her lifetime. If the country continues a long-term policy to ensure a youthful high-fertility workforce through high rates of immigration, the U.S. will easily top a population of 500 million shortly after 2100 and embed forces that ensure indefinite population growth.

Jim Valentine, Woodland Hills

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To the editor: Immigrants are not the problem; people who enter this country illegally are.

We’re certainly a stronger nation because of our immigrant roots, but that fact is not in question. The crux of the matter and what’s truly driving the nation apart is the influx of undocumented individuals and the host of problems they bring with them. Most of them are poor, have little or no English skills and put a severe strain on our social services.

These people break the law when they enter this country, and they should be prevented from doing so. Simply put, we either have borders or we don’t.

You accuse Trump of fearmongering, but in reality he’s merely enforcing the law.

Charles Reilly, Manhattan Beach

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To the editor: Trump’s outrageous conduct in sending thousands of troops to our southern border, then implying they may shoot if immigrants throw rocks at them, recalls the 1970 Kent State massacre in Ohio.

Students were protesting President Nixon’s secret bombing of Cambodia, and the governor of Ohio, suffering from the same megalomania personality disorder affecting Trump, ordered National Guard troops to the campus with live ammunition in their rifles.

Four students were killed that day, but no one was held responsible for the deaths. It looks like we’re set for something like that to happen again in America.

Kevin Park, Mission Hills

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