Regulating Immigration

Although I fully agree with the premise presented in the first paragraph that the economy of California is now and will continue to be dependent on immigrant labor, from that point on my opinions greatly diverge from theirs.

The balance seems to me an attempt to blur the difference between legal and illegal immigrants. Those who promote the phrase undocumented immigrants support public acceptance of illegal immigrants as having an intrinsic right to belong here and merely lacking proper paperwork. Balderdash! Remember, every illegal immigrant begins his/her attempt to participate in this society with the violation of a federal statute. The presence of illegal immigrants in our society will always diminish the potential of those who have or will legally immigrate.

I support the cause of immigrant rights. That support, however, cannot be extended to those who have no right to be here.

JIM ENGELKE, San Juan Capistrano