Bipartisan Support of Immigration Laws

In “A First Step, but Not the ‘Whole Enchilada’ ” (Opinion, Jan 4), Marc Cooper says that President Clinton tightened border control because he was “pandering to xenophobic pressures on the right.” Does Cooper really believe that a shrewd politician like Clinton would expend effort pandering to a fringe on the opposite end of the political spectrum from himself?

The fact is, all major polls on immigration in recent years have shown that a large majority of Americans who define themselves as liberals or as Democrats support stricter immigration policies, just as do those who define themselves as moderates, conservatives or Republicans. Does Cooper really consider liberal Democrats to be right-wing xenophobes?

Lance B. Sjogren

San Pedro