Dreamers need justice

To the Journal editor:

Our partial government (was) … over President Trump’s insistence for $5.7 billion to construct 230 miles of U.S.A.-Mexico border wall.

The two major immigration issues are building the wall and giving citizenship for “Dreamers” (Murguia, Janet. “End the telenovela.” The Washington Post, Jan. 9, 2019).

Is it just to build President Trump’s border wall?

Is it just to give citizenship to “Dreamers?”

President Trump’s main reason for building the border wall is playing to the economic and racial anxieties and prejudices of his supporters.

Furthermore, factual evidence proves President Trump’s border wall is not needed because illegal immigration has sharply declined (BBC News. “Government shutdown: Is there a crisis?” Jan. 8, 2019).

“Dreamers” are immigrants brought into our country illegally as children. President Obama issued the executive order Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in which “Dreamers” receive a renewable two year period from deportation. President Trump has attempted to end DACA.

Major reasons for citizenship for “Dreamers” include: 1) Facts proving we need “Dreamers” as workers to fill vacant jobs because our unemployment rate ties a half-century low at 3.7 percent (Timiraos, Nick. “Analysis: Jobs report.” The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 20, 2019), and 2) Facts proving immigrants generate more jobs for Americans (Scott, Eugene. “Trump’s claim that Americans are hurt.” The Washington Post, Jan. 9, 2019).

To answer our questions we apply our great American value justice for all that is declare specifically in our Pledge of Allegiance and generally in our historical progression from justice for the few wealthy white males to justice for all.

We oppose policy and practice appeasing the anxieties and prejudices of the few President Trump supporters, and we support just policy and practice benefiting all.

We need “Dreamers” to fill vacant jobs benefiting all.

We need to spend the $5.7 billion needed to build the border wall on projects benefiting all, including: 1) creating high-paying infrastructure construction jobs with trickle-over benefits for all and 2) Creating government-run and tax-financed education and health-care for all.

Based on justice for all, we declare:

It is not just to build President Trump’s border wall.

It is just to give “Dreamers” citizenship.

Justice for all!

GORDON PETERSON

Marquette

Editor’s note: This letter writer should not be confused with Gordon J. Peterson, a retired funeral director who worked many years for Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home in Marquette.