David Parrella: Immigrants do not equal criminals

A woman carries her child after she  crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico on Sept. 23 in Eagle Pass, Texas.

A woman carries her child after she crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico on Sept. 23 in Eagle Pass, Texas. AP FILE PHOTO/ERIC GAY

Published: 03-18-2024 4:34 PM

Modified: 03-18-2024 8:13 PM


In a March 15 opinion, a writer wrote that, “We currently have 11 million illegal immigrants as well as our own criminals in our country” [My Turn, “Much to fear from rampant immigration”]. This promotes the fiction that all immigrants are criminals, including the lady who serves you from the food truck, the maid who cleans your motel room, or the boy who harvests your produce.

The author is well-intentioned when she calls for immigration reform, which is needed. But continuing the myth that all who come here from somewhere else should be feared is wrong. With the exception of Native Americans, are we not all the descendants of immigrants, legal or otherwise?

David Parrella

Buckland

Yesterday's Most Read Articles

Police remove Greenfield man from Elm Street house after 6-hour standoff
Former Leyden police chief must pay nearly $11K in larceny case
Longtime farmers retire, close Butynski’s Farm Stand in Greenfield
Shutesbury police chief on leave
My Turn: Everyone is entitled to due process
Real Estate Transactions: May 16, 2025