Letters

In a daily barrage of executive orders, political maneuvers and threats, this administration has dismantled the system of checks and balances that the founders of this nation planned to protect against autocracy. Congress and the Supreme Court have been complicit.

If at first we thought we would not be touched by these actions, we were mistaken. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was clear that what is happening to people who look like they might be immigrants could happen to you: “We should not have to live in a country where the government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work in a low-wage job.” Lives and families are being thrown into chaos with blatant disregard for due process. Every American resident and citizen is at risk. Due process is a constitutional right of every person in the USA.

The League of Women Voters of the U.S. holds the position that immigration policies should promote the reunification of immediate families, meet economic, business and employment needs, and be responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises. All people should receive fair treatment under the law.

Detaining, arresting, deporting and harassing people who look like they might be immigrants is one example of overreach that conflicts not only with our Constitution but also with our economic, business and employment stability.

Every day, we depend on our foreign-born neighbors. Recent studies from Hofstra University show that immigrants are represented in blue-collar and white-collar positions and contribute to our economy. They are also well-represented in skilled and professional positions in health care, technology and computer sciences. Their services are essential, and they contribute billions of dollars in taxes.

Immigrants make up roughly 18 percent of the population of Suffolk County and contribute about 20 percent to the economy. According to a study by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022. A 2024 study by Immigration Research Initiative and Ellis Island Initiative shows that for every 1,000 newly arrived, working immigrants on Long Island, about $3 million in local tax revenue is generated. That figure is rising.

Contrast that with the $11.25 billion a year for ICE detention facilities in the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” and the more than $335 million that it has cost to send the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Contrary to what many believe, undocumented immigrants are not able to collect Social Security, despite their contributions. They dare not claim any benefits lest they become a “public charge” and ruin their chances of becoming citizens.

Use your vote to stand up for due process, humane treatment — and our economy.

Terese Wildrick

Hampton Bays

Wildrick is co-president of the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and the North Fork, and a member of the Unite and Rise 8.5 Committee — Ed.