Immigrants

Re Elton Gallegly’s letter (Jan. 29) about immigrants: Newcomers make a tremendous contribution to our society. These newcomers come to our society, legally or illegally, ready to work, and they eagerly take on low-paying jobs, such as in the garment industry.

Gallegly also argues that non-legal residents each year deliberately have their babies in the United States because by doing so, they are able to collect welfare benefits. I don’t argue that this does not happen, but I argue that not all illegals turn to welfare, and what illegal and legal residents take out in welfare benefits are minute compared to what they put into our society, and what they provide to the economy of the United States as a whole.

Lastly, I’d like to point out that if the United States really wanted to stop illegal immigration, it would have done so a long time ago.

CARLOS NUNEZ, Los Angeles