Letters to the Editor: You can support Trump and still see ICE has gone too far

To the editor: I have been a card-carrying Republican for 51 years. I am very supportive of the Trump administration and believe many of his hardball changes have long been needed.

I have also supported, wholeheartedly, the efforts to close the borders and to deport “the worst of the worst” criminals to wherever they came from. I believe this is a bold and necessary move to regain law and order in our country.

However, the domestic sweeping up of law-abiding immigrants to meet quotas is closer to fascism (“Trump says he wants to deport ‘the worst of the worst.’ Government data tell another story,” July 13). White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has crossed the line, and our government is allowing it. Our humanity as a nation is being compromised.

The old adage that evil triumphs when good men do nothing applies today. I do not believe MS-13 members are hanging around Home Depot and such, nor are they our gardeners, housecleaners or caregivers. Of the people that have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, around 70% of them have no criminal convictions. Some were in the process of trying to get green cards or are married to citizens. They are not the worst of the worst. They are pawns of deportation quotas.

I believe that we must implement a system that allows noncriminal undocumented immigrants, especially those with families, to get green cards, pay taxes and remain in our country. Gangs, cartels, terrorists and criminals be damned. Send them home or wherever. But we must be diligent to sort out those who defile our country and those who are assets.

Donna Block, Santa Monica

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To the editor: It seems to me that people who are being picked up in these ICE raids at farms, Home Depots, restaurants and more are, in fact, productive, contribute to society and have a work ethic. If, in the course of their day, they make any purchases at a store, they are literally paying (sales) taxes to the government. Many even pay income taxes.

Having seen some videos of people being picked up off the street, I’m horrified that many of these ICE officials don’t act like trained federal agents, but appear to be more akin to vigilantes. These abductions seem to be based more on skin color than level of danger to society.

If it were possible to drive around in trucks and pick up “murderers” and “rapists” by the hundreds, don’t you think the police would be doing that?

Rod Reynolds, Silver Lake