Risks of illegal immigration

Re “A new land, a roaring fire, and then nowhere to run,” Oct. 5

Once again, The Times spends two days on a sob story about Latinos being injured in a desert fire. The question that is never answered is why they were there in the first place. Sneaking across a border to enter a country illegally does carry some risks.

N.M. Lobsenz

Redondo Beach

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According to my reading, Nordic countries do not have this problem because they prevent much hiring of illegal immigrants, and the local police cooperate fully in looking for and turning over to immigration those who work illegally and those who hire illegally.

This demonstrates these countries’ commitment to liberal, democratic values and sustains the population’s commitment to these values.

John Lammi

Hollywood

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I’ve always been on the fence when it came to the subject of illegal immigration. I oftentimes found myself being swayed (by those who oppose it) into believing that it simply leads to overpopulation and, in many cases, crime.

But reading this article, for the first time I was able to put myself in the shoes of someone trying desperately to make it not only across the border but across the hot, dry desert that awaits them once they cross. I actually felt the flames of the inferno. After reading your article, I feel like I really understand for the first time why sometimes having to cross the border illegally isn’t really a choice. It’s a necessity for some.

Tim Cavanaugh

Sherman Oaks

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Re “Illegal residents, diligent owners,” Oct. 6

Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. These illegal immigrant homeowners are here illegally, work at jobs illegally that were once held by U.S. citizens and should never have been offered credit to purchase property in this country. Any misuse of taxpayer identification numbers should warrant investigation and legal action by the federal and California agencies that oversee such crimes.

To imply, as this article does, that the citizen mortgage holders are any less diligent in their attempts to hold on to their homes in this ugly financial period is unfair and insensitive.

Did it not occur to you that the millions of illegal immigrants might possibly have affected the ability of American workers to keep well-paying jobs that allowed them to keep up with those mortgage payments?

Gloria J. Richards

Simi Valley