The one thing for which the current occupant of what’s left of the White House still has decent polling numbers is his securing of our southern border. Congratulations, sir. You actually followed through with a campaign promise. Unfortunately, his White Supremacist lust for power has evolved into the actions of the ICE goons going after the “worst of the worst.” Fortunately, public outcry and opinion has swung in the other direction while DHS director Kristi Noem has gone off the rails and appears to revel in her henchmen’s gang-tackling of people who look as if they’re here illegally.

On Dec. 11 she testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security. There she was confronted by Seth Magaziner from Rhode Island with three examples of ICE’s despicably questionable deportations. The first was a Korean who is a combat veteran who was wounded twice and received the Purple Heart. He had lived in the U.S. since he was seven. Given the option to self-deport, he surrendered without incident. Perhaps he arrived illegally, but didn’t his military service to our country count for anything? I’d say he’s citizenship worthy.

A Navy veteran, Jim Brown of Troy, Missouri, has seen his wife, a legal immigrant from Ireland, spend the last four months in jail. She’s Irish! Are they profiling redheads now? A years’-old crime of writing a couple of bad checks shouldn’t have her behind bars.

Lastly, landscaper Alejandro Barranco, who perhaps arrived illegally, has lived in this country for 30 years and has raised three sons…count ’em, three. These three sons grew up to become United States Marines…too bad their father wasn’t Fred MacMurray. But a lifetime of being a productive U.S. citizen doesn’t count for anything because Kristi is anal-retentive in the performance of her duties.

Sizing up the “worst of the worst” shouldn’t be as difficult as sexing baby chicks. But DHS doesn’t even try to determine a person’s legal status. They arrest and don’t care what happens after they’re jailed.

Immigration laws have needed improvements for years. This ain’t it.

Keith R. Klawitter

Morgan