STOP WHOLESALE DEPORTATION OF LATINOS WITHOUT DOCUMENTS

Julie Myers as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) needs to back off on her quest to deport Mexican and Latino undocumented immigrants. Myers is the niece of Gen. Myers, former head of the Joint Chiefs. Julia Preston reports in today's The New York Times that Myers is aiming to deport some 200,000 undocumenteds for year 2008.

In contrast to mean Ms. Myers, I believe everyone has a right to go anywhere and cross any border in his/her desire to put bread on the table. Therefore, I want open borders, the end of ICE, the removal of the hated fences and walls along the U.S.-Mexican frontier and, above all, respect for our Latin American neighbors who immigrate to the United States.

FOR OPEN BORDERS AND AGAINST IMMIGRATION BILL

I am against the Senate immigration bill S.1348, not because it confers amnesty, but because it is too harsh on immigrants and immigration. I want open borders for the United States that allow anybody to come and go, freely without restriction, for peaceful purposes. In contrast, S.1348 wants heightened border patrol and elimination of open borders.

I had lunch yesterday with a law school classmate who does lots of immigration work. Even he was arguing against open borders, claiming that a nation's sovereignty would depend on maintaining border control, as to who can and who cannot enter the country. For me, open borders has no effect on whether or not a state is "sovereign." For example, each one of the 50 states is a sovereign, yet each state must maintain open borders to anyone living and residing in another state. No, control of immigration does not define whether a state or country is "sovereign."

My point to him was that the United States has had de facto "open borders" along the Mexican-American frontier, and that it has worked rather well. "Open borders" has been the reason why we have so many Latino and other workers who have contributed so much to the U.S. economy and social fabric.

So why does the right want "closed borders?" It could not be because some undocumented Mexican poses a security threat. For one thing, there has not been one Mexican who has been shown to be a jihadist or member of Al Qaeda. Nor do we have any evidence whatsoever that Latinos are entering the United States with bombs.

The only reason I can think of is that the people screaming for more border security are anti-Latino and anti-Spanish-speaking. After all, there is no clamor for a 20-foot wall along the Canadian border. If these nativists really were concerned with control of the border, they should be concerned about the open spaces along the northern frontier with Canada. But they are not. They don't seem to mind Canadians who speak English sneaking across. What bothers them are dark-skinned Mexicans and other Latinos who speak Spanish rather than English.

I favor open borders and citizenship for any person who migrates to the United States for peaceful purposes. Already the 12 million undocumented immigrants have contributed mightily to the U.S. economy by their taxes and Social Security contributions, notwithstanding that they will never reap the benefits of social security retirement income and other American privileges and immunities.