Editor,

RE: "Trump alone not to blame for anti-migrant hysteria” (The New Times, April 4). President Trump is not anti-immigrant at all. He is anti-illegal immigrants. The USA legally lets in over 1 million people each year, which Trump is fine with. The problem is the people who enter without proper papers — illegally.

And yes, they are a problem. They do not pay taxes, they illegally vote, they suck money from the system, and some of them are thieves, murderers, or drug dealers. Please don’t compound the hysteria by regurgitating unsupported claims of the "fake news”.

John

*****************************

"Another is the prospect of the loss of identity arising from the thought of being swamped by hordes of people who do not share the same culture or values.”

"But even minorities that tend to keep to themselves usually do not interfere with the way of life they found. They are more likely to leave things as they are.”

Not always. Some immigrants themselves are partly responsible for the rise of anti-immigrants. I think some of the current problems in some parts of the West are due to immigrants who want their cultural values to be accepted at all cost by their hosts, even if they are diametrically opposed the values of the hosts.

Many years ago, missionaries came to Africa and told locals that they had brought them a true god unlike what they were praying. They actually said that what the locals were praying were fake gods. Being weak and illiterate, locals gave us their god.

Do you think the same people who traversed the whole world offering "a true god” would accept to be called non-believers in their own land? Immigrants all over the world would face less problems if they choose the assimilation route by embracing host’s cultures and lifestyles.

I don’t agree with John’s statement, which is full of hate and unfounded assumptions. You are assuming they are murderers, drug dealers, yet we know that jails in western countries are not full of illegal immigrants but local citizens who committed serial murders, serial rape, mafias...

You are also assuming that illegal immigrants vote. How can they vote when they cannot register to vote? How are they sucking money out of the system when they are providing labour to citizens even though at far below minimum wages (they are often treated like slaves)?

It is of course hateful to brand an entire group of people murderers, thieves or drug dealers, just because a few of them are.

Seth