Letters to the Editor: Readers react to decision to detain immigrants
Editor's note: Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced that state authorities would begin detaining unauthorized immigrants and returning them to the Mexican border. We invited readers to share their thoughts on the governor’s action and how Texas should manage the challenge of illegal immigration. Here are some of your responses:
Instead of spending billions on the border,
put money to good use in public schools
Where exactly are the millions of dollars for Operation Lone Star coming from? Why can’t that money be used for public schools instead?
The goal seems to be to use people’s money to appear tough on immigration, which is a job for a politician running for president. Instead, he should revamp public schools. Less testing, more mental health support, higher teacher salaries. That’s the true emergency. Tackle that and he’ll be doing a governor's job, which is to make the state better for all, and be re-elected in a landslide.
I don’t see how the state is any better by pouring millions (billions?) of dollars as well as state personnel and resources on the border. I don’t see how any of this is sustainable. I’m willing to bet that this madness will come to a full stop this November.
Escalon Fabiola, McAllen
Find solutions; wasteful spending and
'open border' lies don't help anyone
To control the flow of unauthorized immigrants into the U.S. we should coordinate with Mexico to determine rules of entry. Gov. Abbott has no business interfering unless he can make a positive contribution toward a solution which will benefit both countries.
His wasteful expenditures and lies about the "open border" help no one. Congress (both Republicans and Democrats) have done nothing to come up with a comprehensive immigration policy. It's amazing that the European Union can coordinate 27 different countries allowing the free movement of people between member states and we cannot come up with a policy for Mexico.
Perhaps the next step should be to elect a new governor, one who doesn't ignore federal laws because he believes we are a country and not a member of the United States.
Steve Donovan, Austin
Abbott oversteps his bounds and
we pay for his re-election schemes
The task of immigration is properly left to the federal government. Abbott, as he has done in so many things, is overstepping his bounds.
It is the taxpayers who end up paying for his foolish re-election schemes. COVID, critical race theory, abortion rights — a pattern of poor leadership from a governor who lives only for remaining in office as long as he can.
Robert Ginns, San Antonio
If Abbott can't govern for all Texans,
he should move out of the way
Gov. Abbott needs to find a new hobby. Chasing after so-called illegals and trying to remove their kids from schools is counter-productive. Border Patrol exists for arresting career criminals entering illegally. Human beings trying to find a better life need support, not criminalization.
The governor needs to work on more important necessities: All kids, rich or poor, need free breakfast and lunch at school; gun-safety control; and accept that if you're opposed to abortion, don't get one! Don't impose your religious views on others. If Gov. Abbott cannot take those crucial steps, supporting all Texans, move out of the way so others can do it.
I'm 79 years old, retired under the Teacher Retirement System. I'm sure my former students' families lived "illegally" in Texas. Yet, I saw their needs and hard work, noting that the soil I am standing on once belonged to their ancestors. So, Mr. Abbott, leave them alone!
Elaine Gallagher, Laredo
Smoke-and-mirror accomplishments
and using our tax money to achieve them
I fail to see what Gov. Abbott is claiming that he has accomplished. This is only showboating. He is only transporting immigrants to our side of the border using our tax dollars. He is not deporting anybody.
This is like his similar debacle where he transported immigrants to D.C. using my dime. It is smoke and mirrors, just like his claim to eliminate rape.
Chris Hintz, Austin
Allowing for more immigrant labor
leads to a win-win situation for all
Gov. Greg Abbott's directive for state authorities to detain unauthorized immigrants and return them to the Mexican border is short-sighted and lacks compassion. Texas needs more people to fill jobs. The hospitality industry is one example.
My husband and I frequently eat out at restaurants in Round Rock and elsewhere in the Austin area. We often experience a lengthy wait for a table in some of the most popular restaurants, even though we can see available tables. The explanation by restaurant staff is they lack enough employees to serve all the tables. Immigrants could fill some of those jobs.
That would help the immigrants who need jobs and help restaurants serve more customers.
Sounds like a win-win situation to me.
Mary Alice Salmon, Round Rock
Editor’s note: Some readers weighed in on other topics this week. Here are some of their letters.
The Uvalde video provides evidence
of officers' deplorable performance
Thank you for your courageous decision to publish the heart-breaking video of the Uvalde tragedy.
Courage is in small supply these days, especially among peacekeepers, it seems. And the cowardice is stunningly epitomized by the actions of one of the officers nonchalantly applying hand sanitizer, while a few yards away children are being murdered.
Shame on the deplorable performance of law enforcement and kudos to the Statesman for its investigative work.
Christina Jones, Austin
Release of video should have been
handled with respect for families
Throughout nearly half-century as a civil rights lawyer, I have defended the First Amendment, litigating cases on behalf of the press and media. However, the way the Statesman released the Uvalde school shooting video was utterly reprehensible.
Certainly, the Statesman had the obligation to do so; but it should have handled it with much more respect for the victims’ families and not hitting them again blindsided. There are many creative ways the Statesman could have shown respect and compassion to the grieving families and community before releasing the video to the world. As many of the families said in anger and dismay, they felt revictimized again by the press, and rightly so.
Rushing a “scoop” should have been done in a way that respected their dignity and suffering in a tragedy that is almost unimaginable.
James C. Harrington, Texas Civil Rights Project founder, Austin
It's not a valid excuse that officers
in Uvalde were told to stand down
Recently, I watched portions of the Uvalde massacre video. I knew for weeks that the law enforcement officer in charge of the Uvalde situation prevented other officers from confronting the gunman. However, to see it played out was shocking.
If I were one of those officers, especially the officer in charge, I'd resign and take a job that suited me better. It’s not a valid excuse that the commander told the officers to stand down.
Hopefully, I'll never see or hear someone killing children. However, if I do, I hope I have the courage to confront the killer, even if I only have chairs to throw at him.
I've heard gun enthusiasts claim that if all American adults carried guns on their hips, the murder rate in this country would plummet, and everybody would become polite. Based on what happened in Uvalde, those gun enthusiasts are dead wrong.
Ralph Kerr, Leander
Nothing has stopped anti-abortion
Christians from this kind of advocacy
Re: July 10 commentary, “’Pro-life’ Christians must value every life.”
Applauding the Supreme Court's overturn of Roe v. Wade, the Rev. Tim Moore says that now is a “vital moment” for Christians to advocate for "Governments, churches and nonprofits [to ensure] that pregnant women have access to healthcare, adequate nutrition, mental health support, paid leave and affordable housing and childcare.”
Nothing has prevented anti-abortion Christians from advocating for these social services in the past, except for the fact that anti-abortion Christians overwhelmingly vote Republican, and the GOP, as anyone with eyes and ears knows, hates social services.
It’s particularly galling that the Rev. Moore calls for more mental health support for pregnant women. If you want to support women’s mental health, don't force them to give birth against their will.
Robin McMillion, Austin
Empty downtown office buildings
can take steps to conserve energy
With the looming rolling blackouts (maybe just blackouts) due to the consistently high temperatures, we are being asked to conserve energy: Turn up thermostats, unplug unneeded appliances, shut off lights.
As you drive by downtown at night, how many empty office buildings do you see with their lights on? What if all of those office buildings had a work-from- home day or week? Thermostats can be set at 80 instead of the constant 68-72 for every floor of every building. Most of their lights would be off. Just think how much energy could be saved in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin.
Or, we can just ask the citizens of Texas to absorb the burden.
Oscar Buitron, Austin
Ukraine invasion exacerbates the
food crisis, threatening millions
On Monday, a town hall called “Hunger Pains: The growing global food crisis” was presented by Zero Media and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The key takeaways for me are that hungry people are angry people and that this environment leads to global political instability.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated the global food crisis that was already under pressure from climate change. Tens of millions of human beings are on the brink of moving from poverty into famine due to food, water and fertilizer shortages exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The United States should lead the world on initiatives to prevent this looming human disaster in the short, medium and long term. This situation can bring ominous consequences to the security of the United States and the world.
Manuel A. García, Austin
Every life matters, except
those on Texas' Death Row
Re: July 10 commentary, “’Pro-life’ Christians must value every life.”
When I was offered the position of State Director of Texas Right to Life in 1972, I assumed that every life matters. As in the editorial from a pro-life Christian, apparently every life matters except those on Texas Death Row — even those who were wrongly convicted — and those victimized by political conflict. I found myself out of step with only opposing abortion while not being allowed to address the death penalty, although euthanasia was important. Isn't every single life important, even the life of a person who is seeking an abortion, the abortionist, and those on death row? Several people on death row actually did not kill anyone but were marginally involved in a murder.
My pro-abortion friend says that at least I am consistent.
Mary Ellen Felps, Austin
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin American-Statesman Letters to the Editor: July 17, 2022
