Immigration and the Cops on the Street

Re “Special Order 40,” editorial, April 14: What’s wrong with requiring law enforcement officers to stop a person when there’s a “reasonable suspicion” that the person violated immigration laws? We expect those officers would stop a person when there’s a “reasonable suspicion” that the person is driving under the influence. We entrust those officers to enforce all laws. Whether or not there was a “legal reasonable suspicion” can be determined by the courts.

Fred Ferketic

Newport Beach

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Your editorial does not clearly differentiate between legal and illegal immigrants. They are not the same and are not afforded the same guarantees under the law. Your editorial infers that the stream of illegal aliens are “decent, hardworking laborers.” They are not simply laborers or undocumented workers or any other soft label The Times might prefer to disguise this huge problem. Whether hardworking laborers or criminals, they are illegal aliens.

Bill Gourlay

Westlake Village

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Our federal government, not the LAPD, should be protecting our borders. I am concerned about the effects of illegal immigration on the quality of life of my fellow Americans. I harbor no ill will toward any human being, regardless of race or nationality. My concern is for justice and the rule of law for Americans, who deserve to be the first concern of the representatives elected to public office.

Illegal immigration has a profoundly deleterious effect on education, healthcare, social services, employment opportunity and wages for all Americans. The future for middle- and lower-class Americans becomes dimmer every day as they compete with illegal immigrants for the services and support of our government. I urge my fellow citizens to insist that their federal representatives deal with this issue now and stop protecting businesses with low-wage labor.

Steven W. Beyer

Los Angeles