There's a difference between law, justice

The current fiasco on immigration is a perfect example of law versus justice. Immigrants from Mexico have been welcomed to the United States since the 1940s and before. Without them most farm products grown in the Southwest and the Midwest would not have made it to your local stores. Trump's vicious rants against these people are undeserved as they only come here to work and/or become citizens.

Thanks to our ever-increasing demand for illicit drugs, drug cartels have come into existence with a new criminal class. The Central American countries have turned into corrupt governments with criminal gangs roving at will. Who would not want to come here for asylum to protect their families.

The countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala used to be known as the Banana Republics and our country sent the Marines there several times to ensure that the United Fruit Company made a profit. They, with the help of our government, maintained the system of bribery and payoffs to the dictatorships there. That is why those three counties are a hotbed of crime and violence today, thanks to our meddling a hundred years ago. We owe these people asylum from a system we created.

At our borders, the "immigrants" should be divided into two groups. One for asylum-seekers and the other for residency seekers. Contrary to what has been shouted, their crime rate is less than the national average and they do not take jobs away from Americans.

The "law" is responsible for the situation we have at the border today. "Justice" is the cure for this, which gives people some dignity.

Raleigh Sutton

Elgin