‘INS Raid on Site Scuttles Budding Trust’

Re your editorial “INS Raid on Labor Site Scuttles Budding Trust” (Dec. 3): Enough already with the plight of the illegal Latinos!

In your editorial, you state that Laguna Beach had come up with a plan to concentrate the men in one part of town. What you failed to mention in that paragraph is that those efforts were nil. Yes, some illegals were gathering in the canyon, but a good portion were still gathering in North Laguna on Coast Highway and at Main Beach and Riddle Field.

In your last part of the third paragraph you state the most frightening sentence I have read recently: “ . . . innovative and humane programs in the county to deal with day laborers, who can hardly be faulted for trying to earn a living.” The INS is not bothering American citizens, nor is it bothering Mexican nationals with proper documentation. The INS is rounding up illegal aliens--people who have broken federal law by crossing our borders illegally. The mentality of your sentence leads me to believe that because these people are trying to earn a living we should overlook that they have broken the law. Should we overlook the crack dealer in Watts or Harlem or Washington, D.C.? After all, isn’t he only trying to earn a living?

The law is law, whether it be “innovative and humane” or whether it isn’t. We must all abide by the laws of the United States or we will have chaos, and we have chaos in Laguna.

Last, why should a department of the federal government have to pussyfoot around with a small-town mayor when enforcing the law. Why should we build trust with people who right off the bat have broken the law by the manner of which they entered our country. I applaud the INS for finally taken action where the city officials wouldn’t.

TERRI JEAN CROUCH

Laguna Beach