Immigration and the riots in Los Angeles

I am the grandchild of immigrants (Mexico and Scotland) so I am partial to all those coming to America wanting to stay here and become citizens. However, owing to the lack of enforcement of our immigration laws for years there are now many thousands here illegally working and raising families in our local communities. President Trump campaigned on immigration enforcement and reform so it is no surprise he is pushing ICE to do enforcement. While I agree that our laws should be enforced, there are ways to do this in a less dramatic way. On the other hand, watching television and seeing people waving foreign flags while setting cars on fire is not a way to gain my support! The graffiti and looting of stores in downtown L.A. is un-American and a criminal act that deserves swift action by law enforcement. Exercise your civil rights to demonstrate but do it peacefully and without breaking the law. The CHP is not ICE and they do not enforce immigration laws, so why throw huge rocks at them? This only reinforces the opinion of some that illegal immigrants are criminals and need to be expeditiously deported!

— Richard A. Stewart, Moreno Valley

Blame our politicians for immigration problems

The rioting in downtown Los Angeles has been ugly —but was entirely preventable. At the turn of the last century immigrants who came into the U.S. from Europe learned English, took citizenship classes and became naturalized American citizens.

A visit to Ellis Island will likely astound most Americans these days when learning what immigrants had to go through back then. But after WWII, millions of immigrants came through our borders illegally providing cheap labor that displaced many U.S. citizens.

In 1984, President Ronald Regan issued a blanket amnesty that covered millions of illegal immigrants. The notion being that Congress would create effective guest worker programs and finally develop an efficient path to citizenship — facilitated by ample government resources. They failed, “kicking the can down the road” like most politicians. And millions more poured in. Bottom line: We need immigration reforms. Now! And our laws upheld.

— William Holland, Northridge

The L.A. riots

May I call bull? The so-called “riots” were a civil disobedience, of course. We are allowed to protest and speak out. First Amendment, anyone? Burning police cars is illegal and will be dealt with. But Trump is desperate to start a fight with California (or any state that disagrees ... blue ones, perhaps?) to give him a reason to send in the National Guard and/or Marines. Period.

He spelled all this out in Project 2025, which apparently very few of his base even read, it was all there, so why are we even surprised by his action? Trump is a happy guy right now. He gets his military parade, Stephen Miller can be his hatchet man, and yippee no person with brown or black skin will be spared. I hope all the prisons in El Salvador and Sudan (good grief!) are ready to receive 11 million of our hard-working immigrants!

— Ann Harmer, Costa Mesa

Gov. Newsom’s speech

Re “Newsom urges Americans ‘not to give in’ to President Trump” (June 11):

This has been horrifying to watch, but the speech was rather incendiary, don’t you think?

He was literally calling for the undocumented, across the country no less, to rise up against the U.S. government. While he and Karen Bass urge the protesters to exercise their First Amendment rights peacefully. We have seen time and again how these protests escalate while our electeds kneel down.

We have seen what our LAPD is subjected to. He says “We’ll keep fighting on behalf of ‘our’ people.” Which people? There are upwards of 1 million people in California illegally while our veterans still sleep on the street, our housing stock and budget obliterated. We don’t get to vote whether to be a sanctuary city or state, it is imposed on us and needs examining.

This isn’t working. Gavin Newsom is poking the bear and equally responsible for what continues happening here.

— Lydia Milars, Los Angeles