Make immigration a real priority

In her Jan. 6 column “Immigration reform is no place for games,” Froma Harrop says “the notion that ‘anchor babies' — American-born children of illegal immigrants — can easily alter their parents' status is something of a myth. Such children cannot sponsor their parent for legal status until they are age 21.”

If you don't think that young parents in their 20s here illegally aren't willing to wait until their children reach legal age before getting their own amnesty, remember that the odds of being deported have been pretty slim in recent decades. In the meantime, these adults continue to hold jobs once taken by American citizens and legal immigrants.

This country doesn't need more foreign workers; it needs more good-paying jobs for our own citizens. To that end the Obama administration, which continues to pay lip service to the refrain that jobs are a “top priority,” should put its money where its mouth is and remove the 7 million illegals working in nonagricultural industries so these jobs can be given to the 22 million Americans who can't find full-time work.

Dave Gorak

Executive director

Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration

LaValle, Wis.