Immigration Administration

The passage of the Immigration Reform Act of 1986 was brought about due to serious socioeconomic problems extant in the United States over the last several years. INS Western Regional Commissioner Harold Ezell accurately pointed out that our southern borders were “out of control” and that illegal Latino immigrants were coming and going at will across our borders without due respect for the laws of our land.

The legalization program, in view of this fact, is exceptionally liberal in providing entitlements and citizenship for illegal aliens. The legalization fees imposed by the INS are extremely modest when compared to the amount of money paid to coyotes who profit from the willing-to-pay migrants.

The nation should not be required to bear the burden of the cost of implementing this program of legalization beyond what it has already cost the nation in terms of court-processing and deportation expenses, shortage of low-cost housing for our indigent homeless, lower “competitive” wages, increased drug trafficking and an ever-declining general standard of living for the majority of U.S. citizens, etc.

Rodriguez should be aware that--”unlike white European, Canadian, and Israeli counterparts”--the Latino undocumented immigrants are here in incredibly greater numbers and consequently pose a more serious problem in processing. It is all too easy to dispense pity for poor aliens and contempt for the INS from the bastions of legal service centers whose very power and influence resides in a constant and massive infusion into our nation of rabble from without.

H.L. PIRIE

Santa Barbara