A recent article about the Santa Maria City Council meeting where protesters were questioning why the city didn’t do more to counter ICE activities (“Santa Maria delays hearing ‘to ensure safety’ of City Council,” Oct. 15) highlighted the ignorance of some of these groups.
The Constitution places immigration enforcement under the federal government, not the states and certainly not the cities. When I read claims that people were “kidnapped” or “abducted,” it only increases my disgust for these groups. These people were arrested or detained legally by law enforcement.
When protesters claim communities are living in fear and families are torn apart, I would like them to answer one question: Would they be in fear if they were here legally? If they had not broken the law by sneaking into our country but instead followed proper legal channels, I’d welcome them with open arms.
My family were immigrants, legal immigrants. They followed the rules.
It’s a slap in the face to those who do follow the rules to see those here illegally reap the benefits of our country. If you want support from me and, I suspect, the general populace, you are not going to get it by claiming that law enforcement officers are at fault when doing their jobs.
Despite the reason for breaking the law to be here illegally, and I am not unsympathetic to the reasons people want to come here, they are still not legally here and can and should be deported.
Follow the rules! I and you, as citizens, must obey the laws. Why should illegals not have to?
Ellis Romero
Santa Maria
This article appears in October 29 – November 5, 2026.
