I read Jon Cushman’s recent letter to the editor with great interest.
He is correct in that immigration is how this country originated and grew to the greatness we have been. He is also correct in that the H-1B visa is a great way to bring new talent here and they often create great and wonderful things.
However, he seems to favor any immigration, and for that he is wrong. The problem with immigration today is that there is so much illegal immigration, and it often brings with it financial burden on our communities.
In the immigration boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, those people who came here had to be able to show they would not become a burden on the community. Otherwise, they had to have someone who would post a bond to ensure this, or they were refused entry into the country.
One of the responsibilities of ports of entry like Ellis Island was to process immigrants, looking for the ability to support themselves, be healthy and even read and write. Ellis Island had hospital facilities where they kept sick people who were either cured, died or returned to their native nation.
There is actually a large cemetery still on Ellis Island.
There was a short time after the Civil War where there was unregulated immigration, but Congress took notice of the effect of these illegal immigrants on job security and public burden and passed immigration laws to control entry into the country. People who come here legally often have to spend years and a lot of money to gain access.
To me, illegal immigration is a slap in the face to these people who take the time and financial burden to come here properly and become contributing members of our society.
Most countries have immigration control so that immigration does not adversely affect the labor pool and economics of the communities in which they settle.
Bruce Peterson
Centralia
