Does Anyone Gain by Putting Illegal Immigrants in Jail?

Re “Freedom Dreams” (May 15): I find it very disturbing that people have to be in jail just because they want to have a better life.

They came to America to work for $4.25 an hour or less. Locking them in jail is the solution the Immigration and Naturalization Service found to not let them get that $4.25 or less per hour.

Instead, the INS will spend $55 for each person per day. It seems to me the government would rather spend money to keep people doing nothing than let them get paid for real work and pay taxes and create more jobs--like some did [when they were granted asylum] in Ecuador.

SERGIO SOUZA

Los Angeles