I will start out by agreeing with one comment by Jon Buss in his most recent letter to the editor about his concern for the number of immigrants coming across our border “illegally”. (“Make blue states put their money where their mouths are for immigration,” published April 24.)

However, President Biden already came up with an initially agreed upon Senate solution, which was ready to pass the House had it not been for Donald Trump’s demand that it be shot down. This was done for Trump to have the same complaint against the Democrats continuing the influx of Illegal immigrants as Mr. Buss has. However, it was done so Trump could have a re-election platform. We still have those who are called “undocumented workers” actually being as he put it, “illegal” and still not stopped at our border. Don’t blame Biden Jon; blame Trump and our weak do nothing House of Representatives.

Statistically, those who here illegally do not commit more crime than those who are U.S. citizens. See U.S. Department of Justice, “PNAS Volume 1147”. Illegal immigrants are not found to be part of the homeless either; they came to work and have done just that. Admittedly, they are enjoying our economy and are paying taxes but will not receive the benefits in the future such as Social Security or retirement unless they become citizens.

It seems that Jon Buss is correct about a rising trend seeing Chinese illegal immigrants, mostly coming in from Canada. I suspect this is due to the deflation/recession occurring in China, and not for any desire to spy on us. You don’t have to spy on a nation that is so open it washes its linen on the internet.

What I see missing from Jon Buss’s arguments is a total lack of understanding that all of us are citizens from past immigrants invited in to work and build our nation. The only exception being our Native Americans who arrived first. With our coming shortage of labor, due to our low birth rate which is already hurting Europe and now Russia, we need this influx of NEW immigrants to fill the slots of the low paying jobs.

Sorry Jon, but this great nation was built on immigrant labor and its ingenuity. Without us, those here would be still hunting buffalo with bows and arrows. My wife and I are both progenies of immigrants from Europe as well as Native American blood in my veins. In the 1850’s, it was the chant of the Know Nothing Party “Not the Irish”. Here in Seattle In the late 1800’s it was “send back the Chinese”. With the early 1900’s, it was “stop the East Europeans”. Now it’s “stop those South of the Border”.

Those already here always want to end the immigration that brought them here. Please bar the door now that I am in.

Eugene Clegg

Enumclaw