Dear Donald Trump - family separations are extreme cruelty: New Mexico echo

A humanitarian echo opinion published in the New Mexico newspaper the Roswell Daily Record.

ROSWELL, NM -Throughout history immigrants have proven to be one of our many assets in making the USA the greatest nation on Earth. The focal point of the Trump campaign was his irrational fear and contempt of foreigners, and he has continued this xenophobia throughout his presidency. That Russell Scott, or any person in the world, would ask for further examples of Trump’s xenophobia is beyond me. There is simply nothing more than Trump’s own comments I could offer as an example.

As a parent, grandparent and great grandparent I think a government-endorsed policy of separating kids from their parents legally seeking asylum is extreme cruelty.

Previous mass deportations were during periods of economic stress and high unemployment so there was some justification for the motives. Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression*, and Eisenhower during the transition from a war-driven economy to a consumer-driven economy. That both were failures should have served as a lesson for all future generations.

The solutions are simple. (Although the solutions are not "simple", I understand Mr. Grogan's intention is to establish consistent policies and enforce employment documentation.) We need to recognize the immigrants coming here are legal under both U.S. and international law. History has proven they are overall an asset, not a problem.

Workers are coming here with the knowledge that there are employers who will hire them. The solution is to hold the employers responsible for verifying the legality of their employee, and providing the workers some form of legal permission to work.

The bad guys are the drug dealers supplying the drugs to satisfy the appetite of our drug users. Our drug war is a dismal failure. We have spent trillions, and drug use has actually increased. It is time to try a different approach.

As a solution we should try treating all drugs as we do alcohol. Tax and regulate the sales, and use the revenue for the betterment of humanity like treating addictions, healthcare and education.

To continue wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on the failed policies of the past is insane.

John Grogan,  Roswell

* America’s Forgotten History of Illegal Deportations

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the U.S. carried out a wave of unconstitutional raids that affected as many as 1.8 million people.