Mailbag: Common sense immigration policies needed

Re O.C. Sheriff’s department ICE transfers

I am no fan of President Trump, but one of the reasons he was elected was to deal with the illegal immigration issue, which was amplified by the last administration. It would seem like common sense that we want those undocumented immigrants who are criminals to be deported. That’s how it works in most other countries, and are we really saying we want (as is written in the article) individuals who are detained for DUIs and assault with a deadly weapon to remain in the country? It defies logic.

I do not agree with the mass deportations of hard working immigrants who contribute to our state, but the Democrats need to be reasonable. The Democratic Party is literally gift wrapping the next election for Republicans if it holds on to absurd policies that do not make sense.

Lisa Litman
Orange

Council ignores residents’ best interests

The Huntington Beach City Council placed the voter ID measure on the March 2024 ballot, and it passed with a majority of residents voting in its favor. It was struck down by the 4th District Court of Appeals due to preemption by state law, and the California Supreme Court declined to hear the city’s arguments on why it should be allowed.

The City Council chose to bring the matter before the U.S. Supreme Court, a fiscally questionable decision that will become even more questionable if the U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear the case or does not rule in Huntington Beach’s favor.

The children’s library book review committee ordinance was passed by the City Council in April 2024. Residents obtained enough signatures on a petition opposing the ordinance to create a ballot measure, which passed with 60% of voters in favor of eliminating the committee. The City Council subsequently voted to appeal the California Freedom to Read Act, blatantly ignoring the votes of Huntington Beach residents.

While there are relatively few examples of voter fraud significant enough to alter election results, the City Council continues to support the voter/election fraud narrative in lockstep with the current federal effort to nationalize and take control of the election process. I believe our local voter ID measure and any other similar national efforts are attempts at voter suppression, disguised as protecting “election integrity.”

Litigating the California Freedom to Read Act is an obvious affront to 1st Amendment rights and undermines the votes of those who opposed the book review committee. The true cost of this litigation and numerous other ongoing lawsuits against the state of California remains a mystery to residents, and the city’s track record for challenging the state in court is far from stellar.

The City Council continues to ignore its fiduciary responsibility to act in the interest of all Huntington Beach residents, in favor of executing orders from the MAGA playbook and the man whose bust was proudly displayed on the dais on Jan. 21, 2025.

Judy Morris
Huntington Beach

Bygone dishes remembered

Re A restaurant marks 100 years in Newport Beach

In a recent letter Mike Tubbiola reminisced about the Arches restaurant and their bananas Foster. The Arches was one of my dad’s favorite places, and I fondly recall him taking the family there for dinner when I was a kid. I also loved the bananas Foster.

I recall one dinner where they prepared the Caesar salad tableside. Then they brought out the steak Diane, which was served flambé at the table, followed bythe bananas Foster. With all three courses being prepared in front of me, it made me wonder whether they even needed a kitchen.

Lenard Davis
Newport Beach