Forrest Grove Leader Letter: Immigration Status Does Matter

Does the immigration status of a criminal defendant matter? Of course it does. It's only human for citizens to resent the criminal acts of illegal immigrants more than the criminal acts of legal residents....

In the case of the accident in which two little girls in Forest Grove lost their lives, the sorrow for them is more because citizens are aware that if we had true enforcement of the immigration laws, the culprit would not have entered this country illegally and two little girls would probably still be alive....
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                In this context, it is not surprising to read bitter comments following articles such as those recently published in the Forest Grove Leader. Legislators and presidents past and present have grievously short-changed citizens on immigration law enforcement.

Elizabeth Van Staaveren
McMinnville