Giving illegal immigrants credit
Re “Banking on illegal immigrants,” Feb. 14
Regarding Bank of America’s plan to offer credit cards to people without Social Security numbers and/or other documents: I have a few concerns or questions. Won’t this action encourage an increased flow of illegal aliens into the United States? Won’t this provide terrorists a greater opportunity to fund their destructive programs with minimal monitoring of money transactions? Won’t this cause an increase in the cost of doing business because an excessive number of payment defaults would likely result in responsible people paying higher fees, as well as lower profit distributions to Bank of America stockholders? And what would happen if current account holders were to cancel their accounts in order to demonstrate their displeasure with a plan that threatens our safety and economy?
RAYMOND C. MILLER
Rolling Hills Estates
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I’m not exactly sure if I should be infuriated with Bank of America for exploiting immigrants or excited that corporate America is actually helping our undocumented workers. The fight over undocumented immigrants is merely a wedge issue designed to keep our nation deeply divided. If Americans stopped and looked at the facts about these workers, they would see that they are actually contributing economically to this country. Companies like Bank of America are very aware that the risk of giving out credit cards is low and the benefits are many. It is that rare situation in which both sides win.
ANITA SARKEESIAN
Los Angeles
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Bank of America’s search for new markets among illegal immigrants is nauseating. Corporations like Bank of America that wink at illegal immigration should at least admit that unskilled American workers harmed by federal nonenforcement policies are already the poorest and most vulnerable segment within the nation’s working society. Does Bank of America’s search for new markets include low-interest loans to those unskilled American workers displaced by illegal immigrants?
MICHAEL SCOTT
Glendora