Readers React: Wearing out the welcome mat

To the editor: I grew up in the 1960s in the Midwest, the first-generation daughter of Eastern European immigrants.

Even then we knew that if a relative or friend from Europe wanted to come to the United States to live, all they had to do was overstay their visa.

Here we are some 50 years later and absolutely nothing has changed. (“After their visas expire,” July 12)

Despite all the technological advancements, the government still can’t keep track of people who are here overstaying their visas.

This has obviously not been a priority; one wonders why we have some laws at all.

Anita Roglich, Santa Monica

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To the editor: I took offense at the tone of the article; it sounded to me as though the legal residents of the United States are the bad guys.Both the families cited mention that they have to battle those who seemingly don’t want them here.

Deciding to just overstay a visa is against the law, and that’s what bothers many citizens or legal residents here and causes resentment.
Susan Moore, La Habra

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To the editor: The article quotes a 26-year-old anthropology major at UC Santa Cruz: “We have to battle — battle against how people feel about immigrants. They don’t like immigrants.”

Why do they exclude the adjective “illegal” in their statements?

We have welcomed immigrants for as long as this country has been in existence.

We just have a problem with the ones who flaunt our laws and become “illegal” immigrants when they overstay their visas or sneak across the border.

Jim Toomey, Reseda