Jim Fossel’s Oct. 10 column, “Democrats’ inaction on immigration is coming home to roost,” blatantly left out facts in order to play the blame game. People who care about the truth won’t be fooled. 

Let’s be crystal clear. In 2024, Democrats and Republicans in Congress worked for months to develop a bipartisan bill for major immigration reforms. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start, and for once there was bipartisan support to pass it. 

The only reason it failed is because candidate Donald Trump trashed it for selfish, political reasons, and his Republican sycophants followed suit. Trump didn’t want a bill to succeed under President Biden. He wanted to continue demonizing immigrants, and gin up fear and hatred to fuel his campaign. 

This laid the groundwork for the inhumane, terrorizing and militaristic tactics his administration is now using against immigrants. Once again, blatant politics fuels his actions: Trump is targeting Democratic cities, with few exceptions. 

When it comes to immigration, Trump knows nothing about law and order in a democracy. He only knows hatred, violence and divisive politics.

Of course we need to enforce immigration laws. But we don’t need to scapegoat or terrorize immigrants and their families.  People are suffering because a political tyrant and his followers destroyed a historic, bipartisan bill to reform immigration and are now using the power of the state to take their torches of fear and hate to terrorize people and communities. 

Enforcing immigration laws doesn’t have to be this way. Responsible, law-abiding citizens know better.

Kathy Mills
Yarmouth