To the editor: The article about racial profiling fears relating to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement set me to considering (“Fears of racial profiling rise as Border Patrol conducts ‘roving patrols,’ detains U.S. citizens,” June 15). Might it occur to me?
I’d characterize myself usually as recognizable as Latino. I guarantee myself that I used to be born right here in a household that has been in California for 125 years. But, we hear of Latinos who’re U.S. residents getting detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
I additional guarantee myself that I’m a Stanford legislation graduate residing in an upscale group, and have been a working towards enterprise litigation lawyer for 48 years. Regardless of; if my pal, Sen. Alex Padilla, might be manhandled by legislation enforcement officers, who am I to suppose I might be exempt? However I’ll be damned if I’ll go round carrying my passport “simply in case.”
It galls me most of all that I, a Vietnam-era vet, might be topic to having my citizenship questioned merely on the idea of bodily look underneath insurance policies promulgated by President Trump and his political advisor, Deputy Chief of Workers Stephen Miller — neither of whom ever served in uniform, and neither of whom would even be on this nation however for the historic American custom of chain migration. To chop to the chase, what’s a sound foundation for figuring out whether or not somebody on the road is perhaps overseas born with out authorization to be on this nation? I don’t have the reply, however each ethical and secular legislation dictate that it shouldn’t be their pores and skin tone or bodily look.
Agustin Medina, South Pasadena
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To the editor: “Rising considerations of racial profiling,” you suppose? It actually doesn’t take a lot to come back to this conclusion. ICE, together with different federal businesses, has been rampaging by means of neighborhoods in our metropolis the place our Latino co-workers and neighbors stay and grabbing folks off the road, with seemingly no purpose apart from the colour of their pores and skin. This actually isn’t taking place in Woodland Hills, the place nearly all of immigrants are white.
And, as that is taking place, the president of the USA is looking for “remigration,” which is a time period used by the far-right in Europe calling for ethnic cleansing of nonwhite folks by means of pressured or “voluntary” deportation. That is additionally in opposition to the backdrop of Trump providing asylum to white South Africans. There isn’t any proof that they face any persecution within the nation the place, regardless of the victory of the African Nationwide Congress within the ’90s, the economic system nonetheless disproportionately favors white people.
Let’s name it what it’s. This isn’t about catching and deporting “violent criminals.” It’s about white supremacy, or making America white privileged once more.
Leslie Simon and Marc Bender, Woodland Hills
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To the editor: It’s clearly unlawful, to not point out immoral, to cease folks and ask for proof of citizenship primarily based on the colour of their pores and skin. If ICE needs to catch people who find themselves not presupposed to be right here, they should do it neutrally. I counsel they arrange checkpoints like those used on New Yr’s Eve to discourage consuming and driving. They should cease each automotive and ask each particular person, regardless of their age or look, for proof of citizenship. And meaning beginning certificates or passport — driver’s licenses don’t depend.
Anybody with out the correct documentation could be taken into custody till somebody can come down and produce the correct paperwork. And this must be finished all over the place, together with, say, Huntington Seashore. After just a few days of this, let’s see how common ICE is with the MAGA crowd.
Craig Zerouni, Los Angeles
