To the editor: Law professor Karen Musalo needs to check her priorities. (“Why Biden’s new border plan is a terrible idea,” Opinion, June 7)
As President Biden rightly noted, two centuries of American democratic tradition are on the November 5 ballot. Former President Trump's provocation of a violent mob to disrupt the 2020 election process merely hints at what is at stake.
The border is one of the few issues on which Trump gains ground among voters. Republicans in Congress have already rejected a reasonable bipartisan border bill because they understand that the campaign issue means more than border policy in the long run. Why can't Musalo see that?
Biden's plan shows a willingness to make difficult, even painful, decisions to secure the border. This is important to many undecided voters.
The recent commemoration of D-Day should remind us that nearly 300,000 Americans died protecting freedom and democracy during World War II. The possible number of victims at the border pales in comparison, but the stakes of the election do not.
If Biden wins, there will be four years to get the border right. If he loses, border issues will move to the bottom of a long list of potential calamities.
Daniel Stone, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Last year, a group of Democrats and Republicans in Congress agreed on a border reform bill, but we never had a chance to see it work. Seeking the presidency again, Trump stopped the bill in its tracks for his own selfish benefit.
Immigrants who have arrived in our country since President Biden took office have “vastly increased the supply of workers after labor shortages in the United States left many companies unable to fill jobs,” as noted. described in a separate article appearing in the print edition of the Times. He went on to say that “immigrant workers have alleviated pressure on businesses to dramatically increase wages and pass costs on to their customers through higher prices.”
More workers help reduce inflation. They also pay Social Security and other payroll taxes.
Except for Native Americans, we are all immigrants. In the mid-19th century, our country welcomed a wave of approximately 3 million Germans. Among them were my ancestors who settled in New Mexico. They came to the United States for economic and political reasons.
Sounds familiar? People from all over the world have come here and worked hard to make America the greatest country in the world.
Native Americans no longer produce enough children to sustain our economy for future generations. Now, Republicans want to cut off our livelihoods by stopping immigration.
Anastacio Vigil, Santa Monica
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To the editor: I'm confused.
For years, the White House has claimed there was no crisis at the border and, as president, Biden had no authority to unilaterally change the situation. Any solution would require an act of Congress.
Now you see, as we all saw, that there is a crisis and that you have the authority to do something about it.
Why have you been telling us otherwise for so long?
Dan Naber, Santa Ana
