Another point of view from someone in the thick of the illegal immigration situation.
This "letter to the editor" appeared in The Monitor, on April 2 in McAllen, Texas. When the Winter Texans leave this area in the Spring, the percent of residents in the area is over 80 percent hispanic. The following letter was written by a Hispanic lady who is a legal US citizen. I just wanted to share her feelings with you......................Jim
Mexico has done nothing for the U.S.
To President Bush and legislators:
Stop sucking up to Vicente Fox and Mexico! They have done nothing for the U.S.A. They send their people here for public assistance, and don't tell me otherwise as I have worked for the Department of Health and Human Services for over 10 years. As it is, Texas is closing HHSC offices and not hiring new workers to save money, yet we keep supporting these people. If Texas wants to save money, we should stop providing services for any illegal alien and their offspring. Eight of 10 clients were from Mexico. Pregnant women would file for benefits to pay medical bills and once their little U.S. citizen was born, they would apply for food stamps, TANF (welfare check), Medicaid, WIC and housing. Some even told us their doctor in Mexico would send them here since our government would pay their medical bills.
I'm sick and tired of supporting Mexico and it's people. Now they have the nerve to parade in our streets demanding "rights" and legalization while holding a Mexican flag. Some are even desecrating our U.S. flag! (A school in California hung the Mexican flag over an upside-down U.S. flag!) Why doesn't the INS just round them up and ship them back?
If they want to be here, let them enter legally. Make them pay back any welfare assistance they have received, and if they have committed crimes, ship them back to Mexico. Those who are working here illegally are using stolen Social Security numbers. Doesn't this constitute identity theft?
I realize some Mexicans truly come here to work and want to be part of the U.S.A. legally and have followed the legal procedures to be here, and that'
s fine. How fair are the current proposals to them? Let them be the ones to receive legal residency or citizenship first.
As for those who have already broken the law to enter the U.S.A., shouldn't they be considered felons? The current proposals are a bunch of hogwash and should be thrown out, along with the politicians supporting them. And don't write back and tell me my parents or grandparents were from Mexico. They were born in Texas and never asked for assistance.
Ruby Ann Martinez, Mission, TX
