Our nation can’t support open borders

While reading the Dec. 27 edition, I got excited when I saw the caption above Susan Campbell’s commentary “becoming activist to end the war on immigration,” I interpreted it to mean a commentary on opposing the travesty that is currently occurring at our southern border and a possible resource for those of us opposed to the mass migrant influx to come together. Imagine my disappoint to read the article and find it was a statement endorsing the Biden administration’s immigration policy.

Americans do not lack compassion for the less fortunate, but the number of migrants the Biden administration is allowing to enter into our country cannot result in an improved nation. September (269,735 processed) and December (275,00 processed as of Dec, 27) broke records for the number of illegal migrants entering our country. To put it in another perspective, the population of Seattle, Wash., the 18th most populous city in the United States, is 733,919. Since Oct. 1, there have been 758,406 migrants processed. Note — this is not including the record number of September crossings.

Why should it be our country’s responsibility to feed, clothe, house and provide health care to all of these individuals illegally crossing into our country, particularly when we are not adequately responding to the needs of Americans living here now?

Hearst Connecticut Media reported 1,021 homeless in my wealthy state of Connecticut. Sixty-five are children. Those running food banks express a need for more funding amid a rise in the number of people in need of help in feeding their families. We have a teacher shortage in Connecticut and other parts of the country, in part as a result of the pandemic. Our teachers do not need to be further challenged by an influx of students who struggle with the English language. Our national debt is $34 trillion. With a population of 332 million people, that is $100,000 per person. We paid $659 billion in interest alone last year. Social security is predicted to run out of funding in 2037.

The immigrants pouring into our country are primarily unskilled, not fluent in the English language and often have paid large sums of money to cartels to secure their crossing. This only strengthens the cartels and the power and influence they have in their home countries.

For President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Majorkas to claim our southern border is not wide open is an outright lie. Democrats and Republicans need to stop blaming one another for not passing sound immigration policy and redirect their energies to stop the insanity that is occurring now and to take care of those of us who are legal citizens of this country. Suzanne A. Knox, D.D.S. Brookfield