Letter to the Editor: Immigration a benefit and the right thing to do

By Jim Sanner, Charles City

Thank-you to George Cummins for his recent letter to the editor regarding this country’s current immigration dilemma.

His letter highlighted Iowa’s history of compassion toward refugee newcomers both on the government and community levels, dating back to the days of then Gov. Robert Ray and the plight of the Indochinese refugees displaced by the Vietnam War.

We live in a different world today. The immigration issue has become an opportunity for some to advance political and personal agendas.

For example, our president’s claim that our southern border is being “infested” with criminals amounts to nothing more than fear-mongering, intent on playing to people’s fears and emotions.

To the contrary, according to one report, “studies show that both legal and undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a lower level that native-born Americans.” Most are here desperate to spare themselves and their families the violence and hardships in their native countries.

Are there problems with our current immigration policy? Most definitely. A solution will require compromises — a difficult but doable objective, despite our current state of partisanship.

But any solution should respect the dignity and rights of every individual. That speaks to our core as a country and our calling as individuals to treat one another as brother and sister, regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliation.

For those of us who continue to insist on the “bottom line,” or financial impact on our country, immigrant newcomers have and continue to be an important asset to our economic future as well.

The New York Times reported recently that the “white population of our country declined slightly last year,” reflecting an ongoing trend for a number of years running. Our unemployment rate currently sits at 3.9 percent nationwide, leaving many employers unable to find workers.

We have room and we have jobs, despite the anti-immigrant rhetoric. Immigrants are in our economic best interest as well.

A Christian writer once wrote, “Our love, affection and help must be given willfully as a gift, especially to those whom our society regards as undeserving. In a world where everything has to be earned, Jesus summons us to offer healing and love, the same love he has bestowed on us.”

As George challenged us in his letter, “Do we remain silent and indifferent to those desperate people or demand positive action from ourselves and our leaders?”