1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I’m writing in outrage over the recent ICE raid at a San Diego restaurant — during peak dinner hours, in full military-style gear, in front of stunned diners and terrified workers. This wasn’t a security operation. It was fear-based political theater targeting cooks and dishwashers, not criminals. Let me be clear: I’m not asking for more “humane” enforcement. I’m asking you to recognize that these raids are morally wrong, economically incoherent, and corrosive to the idea of America as a shared project. Immigration is not a problem. It’s a sign of strength. People risk everything to come here not because we are failing, but because we still represent — however imperfectly — the idea that life can get better. We should be proud of that. We should build on it. We should make it easier, not harder, for people to come, work, contribute, and belong. If we are serious about addressing undocumented immigration, we already know the only approach that is both ethical and effective: hold employers accountable. Fine those who hire without authorization. Enforce the law at the point of power — not the point of survival. But instead, we raid kitchens and traumatize families while ignoring the businesses that create the incentive. It’s a cowardly, dishonest, and inefficient form of enforcement. It doesn’t avoid the economic consequences of fair labor — it just hides them behind fear. The truth is this: we benefit from underpaid immigrant labor. It keeps prices low in agriculture, caregiving, restaurants, and construction. Without it, many of those industries would shrink or disappear. But instead of confronting that honestly, we punish workers and protect the system that exploits them. That’s not justice. That’s not strength. The American project lives or dies by how we treat those who seek to join it. People are not the problem. People are the project.