Immigration places strain on U.S. services

Gone are the days when we can welcome the world to this land of opportunity ["Schools can't handle immigration burden," Letters, May 15]. Our economy is doing poorly, many are out of work, cuts are being made in our schools. The cost of living has increased, gas prices have risen drastically, and there is talk that Medicare and Social Security are running out of money.

I'm a nurse and every day my hospital treats illegal immigrants whose medical benefits are being paid for by the government. In the meantime, my employer is cutting back on my health benefits. My daughter, who has two master's degrees in education but is not teaching due to cutbacks, has no insurance. My parents live on their meager Social Security and haven't seen an increase in two years. Something is wrong. What happened to the American dream for Americans? It's nothing personal, it's just basic finances.

As unfortunate as it may seem, it is time to close our doors and take care of ourselves and our own countrymen. The people who pay into the system should be the ones to benefit. I don't want my taxes to pay for medical and social benefits for illegal immigrants. It is time to take back America and use our resources to help our own citizens.

Debbie Glavas, West Islip
 

Laura Martinez claims that the Latino population is tired of the noise and no action on reform of our broken system ["Tiring of rhetoric on immigration," Opinion, May 15].

She is correct that the system is broken. The government refuses to enforce its own laws, which millions have followed in their quest to become citizens, my mother among them. She followed the laws and became an American. If the government enforced these laws, then millions, most of them Latino, would not be pouring into our country illegally.

The only reform needed is for the proponents of illegal immigration to understand the rules, for them and our government to start following the laws, and to stop handing out "free" education and health care to illegal immigrants. This way, they will respect this country and want to be Americans more, not use the country for its entitlements.

Bill Christofidis, New Hyde Park