Letter was full of misrepresentations
I believe a recent letter by John Dalton has misrepresented both the facts about the illegal alien problems and the integrity of the Association for Legal Americans.
We particularly take issue with the following concepts he put forth:
Immigration is a federal matter. Indeed it is, but what we are proposing serves to focus the responsibility back on the federal government. We want to identify those who are here illegally and turn them over to immigration officials to handle the custody, hearings and deportation.
We don't have any authority. Actually, we do. It is generally termed "inherent authority." The 287(g) program would give us even more. And we do have authority to screen new employees and insist that city-paid contractors do the same.
The city will be sued. I assume he's talking about the Hazleton, Pa., ordinance. We're not suggesting that. Everything we are recommending is legal and being used other places.
Illegal aliens are innocent victims who should be left alone. He forgets about ID theft, the burden of social services, extra students in our schools, uninsured drivers, avoiding taxes through cash payroll, taking entry-level jobs from citizens, overcrowded housing, free medical care, etc. No, we are the innocent victims, not the illegal aliens. And so are the millions of people waiting in line around the world to come here under the rules.
AFLA is against immigration. That isn't true. We protest the presence of illegal aliens. We embrace those who have come here legally. There is a difference.
AFLA is against Hispanics. Wrong again. He repeatedly attempts to lump illegal aliens with immigrants. All we are saying is that a significant subset of the foreign-born population in Elgin is here illegally. Demographically, they are a significant subset of the Hispanic population.
The city leaders have calmly discussed the issue and have decided not to accept our recommendations. When did they do that? When was the meeting? Where? Was it an open meeting? The only time I can recall the city discussing illegal aliens was when they drafted a resolution on the subject in late 2006. I was at that meeting. There was no discussion of substance. This is a far cry from what Dalton characterizes as local government openly considering the issue.
We have no right to speak out on this issue. He talks about our group being small and questions our membership numbers. He says no one elected us.
Has Dalton ever written about the influence wielded by ELIPAC, LULAC, La Raza, ICIRR, or any other advocacy group? I don't believe he has.
When all else fails, call us names. Here's just a sampling of terms he used: hateful, racist nature of their ethnocentric diatribe; fortress of fear; banner of intolerance; denial and prejudice; hateful dogma and against any semblance of rational thought.
Perhaps Dalton's most outrageous statement was when he compared the city council adopting any of our recommendations akin to Chamberlain appeasing Hitler in 1938.
Such opinions have resulted in ignoring the problem for decades. And we can't continue to delay action on the matter.
Doug Heaton, co-director
Association for Legal Americans
Elgin