By sheer luck, one Irish immigrant stays, one’s world is shattered
Kevin Cullen’s column “A pointless deportation’’ (Metro, June 21) highlights again the horror of indiscriminately imposing immigration laws. Like John Cunningham, the subject of the column, I am an Irish immigrant grateful to call Boston home. Unlike Cunningham, I am old enough to have been able to apply for US residency through a lottery scheme afforded to thousands of Irish in the early 1990s. Consequently, and by sheer luck, I have been a US citizen for more than 10 years.
The Trump administration is asking us to believe that justice is served by throwing people out of the country no matter how long they have lived here or regardless of their contribution, for decades, to our communities.
It appears that soon Cunningham will be released from jail and put on a plane to Ireland. Also flying there will be other native Irish visiting family and American-born people going simply to enjoy the nation as tourists. Unlike them, Cunningham will not be allowed to return home. The life he has made for himself will be forever shattered. All of us immigrants know America is great, but where is the common decency in that?
Geoff Foley
Boston
Heightened urgency to pass Safe Communities Act
Coverage of John Cunningham’s detention (“A pointless deportation’’) highlights the senseless harm caused by the Trump deportation machine, and the need for the Massachusetts Legislature and Governor Baker to pass the Safe Communities Act.
While stories about targeting Irish immigrants make headlines, for black and brown immigrant communities — traditional targets for deportation — fear sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement roundups is nothing new.
Listen, for example, to the pleas of 11-year-old Bryan Rosa, who told legislators he fears his family will be torn apart and deported to Brazil.
Deportations are so indiscriminate that anyone without legal status, and many with status, are swept up by ICE. Passage of the Safe Communities Act would ensure that local law-enforcement officers focus on community policing rather than serving as agents for federal deportation squads.
While immigrants of color are targeted more than white immigrants, until our leaders act to protect all Massachusetts communities, no one is safe.
Carol Rose
Executive director
American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts
Boston
There must be consequences for failing to follow the legal course
In response to Kevin Cullen’s column regarding the woes of John Cunningham, illegal means illegal, like no means no in a case of rape. Cunningham did not follow the legal procedure to enter and remain in our country. Just because he became successful in various ways, that doesn’t mean he deserves special privileges. That would be like saying wealthy, successful people have one set of laws that they do not need to abide by, and regular, common people have another set of laws that they do need to comply with.
Here’s a simple example of the correct procedure for obtaining a permanent resident alien, or green, card. A few years ago, my niece married a man from the Cayman Islands. He attended college here under a valid student visa. After graduation, they married in the United States, but he could no longer stay here on his expired visa, so he applied for the green card and returned alone to the Cayman Islands. He waited almost two years before his green card was approved, and then he came to live legally in the United States with his wife. That is the correct, legal procedure.
Bill Bowen
Rowley
Illegal immigration is a problem that has been left unsolved too long
Kevin Cullen wants to blame President Trump for John Cunningham’s plight (“A pointless deportation’’). This is disingenuous. Trump is only carrying out provisions of the immigration laws enacted by Congress. The villainy in all of this is a result of the combination of inaction on the part of previous Congresses and failed leadership of previous presidents, including Barack Obama. Unfortunately, Cunningham did break the law when he overstayed “the 90-day visa he received 18 years ago.’’
The solution to this problem for the country rests entirely with Congress and the president. Trump has it on his agenda to do something about the immigration problem. Congress can start this without him. We need something more than temporary solutions in the form of presidential executive orders.
We are faced with serious problems unless something is done about a situation that has been allowed to fester for years.
The declaration of sanctuary cities represents just one of many problems. Legitimate governments seem to be choosing laws that they’ll enforce, accept, or recognize — a conclusion that bodes ill.
Henry Petrilli
Needham
