I would like to point out that more than 3/4 of the people being grabbed off the streets do not have a criminal record, nor are they illegal. Most are going through the process to obtain legal status, which takes years. In the meantime they are incorrectly referred to as “illegals”. Some are even legal citizens. They are also being taken by people who are not showing an ID, they have their faces covered, do not supply a badge number when asked, nor do they have a warrant. THIS is illegal. They are being profiled because of the color of their skin. This is being done to our neighbors who are part of our communities, work in our home, our schools, our restaurants, vineyards, gardens, and they pay taxes without receiving the benefits we receive.
Our society has been set up through the years to accommodate migrant workers coming in to help with farm work, harvesting, hospitality, and many other jobs. There is a process in place that many are following, but are still being victimized in a very inhumane way, separated from family, being put into cages with improper sanitation, privacy, nutrition, and without access to legal due process. This is illegal and against our constitutional rights that the administration swore an oath to uphold. So yes, we should be doing everything we possibly can to protect the human beings who are being treated so cruelly. If you look the other way what does that say about you? $145 billion was just approved as part of the big new bill to increase ICE personnel and raids and build new concentration camps. Things will be ramping up very soon.
Melania Mahoney, Sonoma
Unfortunately, with the current “president” of the US a convicted scofflaw (and felon), the fact that one governmental agency violates the law at the behest of its deranged ICE barbie management is hard to address. That they ALL do is even harder to address.