We Get E-Mail

The opinions expressed in letters/e-mail from readers posted on this site do not necessarily reflect the opinions of American Patrol / VCT. Such items are posted for informational purposes only.

Exchange with illegal alien-defending Salt Lake City mayor

Received this form letter in response to what I wrote below to the mayor of Salt Lake City:

Related Items

Utah Airport Workers Indicted in Security Probe Mayor Slams Airport Workers' Arrests Intended warning an illegal act, U.S. Atty says Mexican flag waved at protest

Hello,

Once you have as large of a percentage of illegal aliens there as California has..... when the working poor's wages are driven down, when due to increased demand by low-paid ILLEGAL workers drive up the cost of affordable housing I hope your mayor THEN explains his support of criminals.... people ILLEGALLY invading America.

Any reports of drug resistant Tuberculosis yet? Illegals bypass the medical screening LEGAL immigrants do. Illegals also bypass the background check to ensure felons do not enter. Other diseases not native to America are being brought in by illegals... the reports are out there.

Since it appears your mayor is assisting criminals, illegal invaders, I hope he is prosecuted in a court of law.

Scott K.
Omaha, Nebraska

(Forced to flee my home state of California due to the horrid social and economic ills due to millions of illegal invaders.)

***Below is the idiot's reply***

December 18, 2001

To whom it may concern:

The events of September 11th have taught us to expect a new level of vigilance from our government regarding security issues. Nowhere is this watchfulness more needed than at our nation's airports, where we should expect swift action when security breaches are uncovered.

When Paul Warner, the US Attorney for Utah, informed me recently that an investigation had disclosed that certain individuals who had access to restricted areas of Salt Lake City International Airport had misrepresented their backgrounds, I agreed with him that the situation needed to be corrected. We must have confidence that we know the background of every worker in these secure areas, and we cannot permit people to work in a compromising position that might be exploited by terrorists.

The approach that federal and state law enforcement agencies took to solve the problem at our airport was to embark upon a clandestine (secret even to me), seven-week investigation, which started in mid-October. The inquiry disclosed that 67 individuals with access to secure areas had provided false background information to their employers. Sixty-one of these employees were migrant workers who had falsified social security numbers.

At the end of the investigation, state and federal officers arrested and imprisoned dozens of workers. These arrests left many families in turmoil, with children waiting at home for their parents to return from work. After the families figured out what was happening, an even greater reality hit home: those arrested faced criminal prosecution and deportation. All this left many families wondering why they were being treated like terrorists and what they would do to make ends meet.

These are legitimate questions. There is no evidence that any of those arrested planned any terrorist activity, and most were just trying to support their families by working maintenance and food-service jobs at the airport.

For the six US citizens who supplied false information about their criminal backgrounds, no mitigating circumstances apply, and they deserve to be prosecuted. However, those migrant workers who falsified social security numbers likely did not know they were doing anything that would subject them to prosecution or deportation. They were simply doing what thousands of other economic migrants are doing throughout the state, and what millions are doing throughout the nation. Most of them were working at low-paying food service and janitorial jobs. Unfortunately, they were placed by their employers in secured areas of the airport.

Fundamentally, our nation's hypocritical policies toward migrant workers are at fault for this situation. The federal government, including US Attorneys and the INS, gives a wink and a nod to millions of undocumented foreign workers, who often work in low-paying food service and labor jobs. As with immigrant workers throughout our nation's history, these workers contribute significantly (more than $30 billion) to the US economy each year, despite low wages and minimal benefits.

The gap between the law (undocumented workers are "illegal" and subject to deportation) and common practice (allowing economic migrants to work, even after using false social security numbers) is obvious to any informed observer. Facing this reality, even President Bush has considered granting a general amnesty to Mexican workers in the US.

Given these circumstances, a more reasonable, compassionate approach should have been pursued with the airport workers. In October, before incurring the cost and delay of a massive investigation, we could have informed workers with questionable immigration status that they should immediately leave restricted areas and quit their jobs or face prosecution. This would have remedied the security issue seven weeks faster than "Operation Safe Travel," while avoiding the devastating human costs of the arrests and prosecutions. Then, we could have followed up with an investigation to confirm the backgrounds of remaining workers in secure areas, ensuring 100% compliance.

Whether by making our airport the first in the nation to screen all checked bags or by securing the restricted areas of the airport, we are committed to making Salt Lake City International Airport the safest airport in the nation. Our airport staff has been diligent in meeting federal requirements concerning access to secured areas. Going well beyond its regulatory responsibility, our airport has now implemented a system for confirming the social security numbers of every person who receives a badge to enter a secure area.

We implore leaders across the nation to address this issue at their airports immediately and to handle the situation in a humane, compassionate manner. We also urge our own community to look beyond our differences in national origin and to see each other as fellow brothers and sisters, instead of as "foreigners," "Mexicans," and "illegals." We can work together to solve the problems facing our country and our community, and make this a nation that treasures diversity, freedom, and compassion for all.