The emphasis is on ‘illegal’

Re “A judge leads the way,” editorial, Aug. 6

While we all agree that every individual is a person, there certainly should be a differentiation between immigrants who have been admitted legally to this country and have achieved citizenship and those who have entered illegally. Should all the rights of citizenship be conferred on the latter group, including the welfare system that has been paid for by the taxpayers? Certainly, we need migrant workers for jobs that most of us either do not want or refuse to do, but that should not give a free pass to those who claim the right to live in our country indefinitely without the benefit of citizenship.

Nelson Marans

Silver Spring, Md.

I agree that illegals are “persons,” but it doesn’t change the fact that they are “illegal.” I don’t see that anything has happened to change the opinion of the majority of U.S. citizens. Nobody has made a case for amnesty that is palatable.

We need perhaps 200,000 workers, not 12 million. The cause of illegals is supported by a bunch of arrogant politicians looking for votes and writers who would jam it down our throats as doing the right thing. Their supporters should have been down at the border telling these people they were doing the wrong thing by crossing illegally.

Mike Mancuso

San Jose