Illegal Immigrant Amnesty Sought

* Re “Migrant Amnesty Urged,” June 11: “Amnesty” means: absolution, exoneration, pardon. Neither Cardinal Roger Mahony nor Eliseo Medina of the Service Employees International Union appeared willing to discuss the fact that the immigrants for whom they seek amnesty had broken U.S. law. They are in this country illegally, regardless of how hard-working or underpaid they may be.

Since most of the illegals in the Los Angeles area are of the Catholic faith, would amnesty for them mean increased tithes to the Catholic Church? Would amnesty for millions of illegals create a tremendous labor pool from which to recruit new members for the thinning ranks of U.S. labor unions? Is it possible that Mahony and Medina might have reasons other than the “national interest” for promoting immigrant amnesty?

LAWRENCE U. GRAY

La Verne

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I really got a good laugh seeing the 20,000 or so “immigrants of various ethnicities” rallying for federal legislation. Why would they want a law granting them amnesty? If they had any respect at all for the laws of this country, they would not be here in the first place.

BILL WALLACE

Corona

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As a former public school counselor in Lennox and a current higher education administrator at Loyola Marymount University, I have seen the dire effects on people caught in the middle. In search of jobs and education for their children, families come to the U.S, some documented, others without documentation. Often members of the same family have differing immigration status. Many of the children have spent their entire school careers in the U.S. and do well, graduating in the top of their high school class. Admitted to top-notch universities, students without legal residency are not eligible for any financial aid, grants or loans. A heavy cost to pay.

Mahony supports a new amnesty for immigrant workers and their families. I support his position.

PAM RECTOR

Los Angeles

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Mexicans here illegally are naive if they think that amnesty will solve the problem of exploitation. If the government stupidly grants their demands it will only bring another wave of illegal aliens who will work for still lower wages. The newly amnestied will consequently be laid off by their employers in favor of the cheaper workers. We citizens will then pay much higher taxes for more services and infrastructure because we are essentially importing poverty. Meanwhile, our quality of life declines daily because of overpopulation’s crowding, gridlock and pollution.

It’s corporate welfare--everyone loses except the rich and powerful.

DANA GARCIA

Berkeley