Few topics in the American debate today draw the wide range of responses that unbridled immigration elicits: sentimentality, frustration, confusion and even anger.

But today, we must contrast those warm ideas with a harsh reality: public hospitals are bloated to overflowing with patients who have no health insurance, no job, and don’t bother to learn the English language. Our public school system is burdened by having to teach basic curriculum in many different languages; entire neighborhoods are crowded out, replaced by mean streets controlled by ethnic gangs, or at its worst, terrorists who take advantage of our liberal immigration laws to infiltrate our country and seek to destroy us from within.

The disastrous ramifications of our ill-conceived and ill-managed immigration policies are widespread. To counter the destructive trends, we must understand them. But first we must comprehend the magnitude of the overwhelming force.

Often the charge of racism is used as a weapon against those who oppose unlimited immigration and the problems that it presents. It should be noted that this writer has the highest regard for the patriotism, work ethic and integrity of many distinguished Americans of various races and ethnicity who were born on foreign soil. The issues raised are in reference to the uncontrolled immigration policies that have produced a myriad of related problems for this country, not as an affront to any individual or ethic group who comes to our shores.

I believe the American people have the right to decide on the number of new immigrants we let in.

Mike Gordon

Albert Lea