Breaking and Entering

Re “Immigration Reform on House Democrats’ Minds,” July 23: As someone who waited for a long time to legally enter the U.S., I came here with an inherent respect for our laws. Now it is proposed that millions of illegal entrants will be rewarded for their lawbreaking by a plan to legitimize them through “earned legalization.” When people are rewarded for an illegal act, which is probably their first interaction with the U.S., how will they learn to respect or observe our other laws?

The political advantage sought by the opponents of immigration enforcement must be irresistibly enticing. Otherwise, why invite such a blatant disregard of the fundamental premise upon which the U.S. was built--to be a nation of laws?

Roger Nicholson

Irvine