Blame the parent, not the law

Re “Family law, immigration law collide,” June 30

I am experiencing deep, brow-furrowing confusion as to how I should react. It seems that a Mexican man here illegally has weekend custody of his son. Said man did not provide financial support for the 10-year-old until the boy’s mom took him to court; that got the boy $276 a month and some medical insurance. Since the parents separated, dad has made two more babies with an illegal Brazilian immigrant and has been convicted of driving under the influence and driving with no license.

With all that in mind, the judge can say with a straight face that we are concerned about “the child’s emotional well-being” if he cannot visit his father regularly? What am I missing here?

Eileen Bigelow

Whittier

Why are we always reading stories about how the choices illegal immigrants make hurt their families, with the presentation twisted to make it look like our laws are unfair? I feel very bad for the little boy who is likely to lose contact with his dad, but this is 100% because of the choices made by his parents.

Carlos Alvarado came to the United States illegally, and understood the possible consequences if he were discovered. The Times also mentions a DUI and driving without a license, and he has almost no money and has fallen behind in supporting his son.

Alvarado did this. It is not the work of racists, vicious officials or insensitive courts. He created a situation in which his son is going to pay part of the price. I’m sad for his son and for the children of many criminals, but I’m not about to drop our laws because the loved ones get hurt.

Karl Seppala

Orange

Marla Campo worries about sending her son, Michael, to visit his father across the border in Mexico should his father be deported. Yet she is not worried about her son getting into his father’s car every weekend for visitation despite his DUI arrest and driving without a license. Lazy parenting is lazy parenting regardless of immigration status. My sympathy goes out to the son but not to his parents. And especially not to his father.

Margaret M. Light

Carpinteria

As a man who has been traumatized by the family court system since 1993, this case strikes me as an outrage. Alvarado broke the law on several occasions and now desires special treatment. From the article, it appears as if he may receive his most valuable special treatment -- remaining in the United States. Special remedies would not be available to U.S. citizens in an analogous situation.

Why is it that the lawbreakers get incredible benefits and law-abiding American citizens such as myself (via the family court system) faced the prospect of imprisonment upon job elimination on many occasions?

Gene A. Nelson

San Luis Obispo