A writer suggests in his letter July 3 (“Questions if abolishing ICE is good policy”) that the proposal to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), advanced by Jim McGovern and others, is equivalent to a decision to cease enforcement of immigration laws. It is not.
ICE and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, were established for the first time by Congress in 2002, in an initiative inspired by dismay about the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Immigration and border control enforcement had previously been provided by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Customs Service, and several other federal agencies.
I agree with Congressman McGovern that the outcome of this fairly recent decision to consolidate border control activities appears to have resulted in a federal agency whose motivations and actions are not governed by the wishes of the American electorate.
It’s time to rethink the organizational structure in place for this important function, and, I hope, to return to a policy that welcomes those most in need of our assistance.
Donna Wiley
Whately