Dirty Tricks at INS Affront Our Democracy

Jailing suspected Al Qaeda members captured in Afghanistan at Guantanamo Bay is one thing, but taking American immigrants who voluntarily report to INS offices and giving them a surprise trip to the slammer is quite another (“Hundreds Are Detained After Visits to INS,” Dec. 19). Not only is the latest government action scary, it’s also stupid. No other immigrant group will ever report voluntarily to INS offices again, now that the feds have done this.

Jeff Vaughn

Encino

The arrests of all those immigrants who made an effort to comply with INS policy are despicable. This smacks of WWII ideology concerning the Japanese Americans, and we know how ridiculous that turned out to be. The erosion of our personal rights continues every day. Homeland security, huh?

Donald Sommerfield

Loma Linda

Recalling the Dec. 11 article about Manzanar, I can’t help but wonder whether Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft and our security-focused Washington government crowd are going to make use of it again, this time by populating it with people of Middle Eastern descent.

Vaidas Baipsys

Costa Mesa