Letters to the Editor: Democrats missed the chance to pass immigration reform years ago

To the editor: While some Democrat leaders have been growing a backbone in supporting immigrant communities against the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, I could not help but think that so much of the suffering experienced by immigrants today could have been avoided (“Trump officials vow to intensify immigration raids despite legal challenges, bad polls, public backlash,” July 14). Let us never forget that from 2009-2010, the Democrats controlled both the presidency and Congress but failed to pass immigration reform. President Obama’s advisors would later state that he was too busy trying to save the U.S. economy.

Today, the Democrats sure could use the millions of future voters they might have gotten had they passed immigration reform back then. Indeed, perhaps these millions of new voters might have made the difference for Democrats in 2016 and 2024. Instead, Obama would leave office with the nickname “deporter-in-chief.”

Salvador Jimenez, Los Angeles