Back to Basics on Immigration

Re “Bosses Take the Reins Off Border Patrol,” Aug. 16: Christian Ramirez, director of the San Diego office of the American Friends Service Committee, reacted to the relaxed Border Patrol restrictions by saying that “the current administration wants nothing to do with human rights. They are simply establishing a state of repression in Latino communities.”

Though Ramirez’s comments are absurd, they follow a predictable pattern. Immigration “activists” have long refused to discuss the core issue: Are the people they purport to represent in this country here legally or not? It’s a simple question, but the activists always dodge the question by throwing in the race card. Which raises the question: Who are the real racists in this debate?

Richard Rosenthal

Long Beach

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Re “Towing Policy Is Not Off the Hook,” Commentary, Aug. 17: Frank del Olmo applauds the revisions made by the city officials of Maywood regarding the impounding of vehicles driven by unlicensed illegal immigrants. The new policy would give “first-time offenders” a pass on having their vehicles impounded. I must be missing something here. If you are an unlicensed driver and are in this country illegally, I believe that pretty well drops you out of the first-time offender category.

Teresa Costantino

Walnut