Don’t complain; offer solutions

Recently, there have been complaints from all quarters about the questionable treatment of violators of U.S. immigration laws.

If I was running away from my home country for my life and safety, I would stop at the first country I crossed into. In this case, Mexico. But Mexico has very stringent immigration laws and enforces them with extreme strictness. It doesn’t put up with what the U.S. puts up with.

Prior to my retirement several years ago, I was president of a labor bargaining association. On many occasions, I would send letters, or make oral complaints on behalf of the association’s members to our employer. The boss in his response, would always say I should end the complaining and bellyaching with a suggested solution to the problem. Since then, I have learned to do this when making a complaint.

So, to address politicians in Washington, D.C., on both sides of the political aisle, I offer these solutions about the goings-on at the southern border.

1. Congress must fix our broken immigration laws.

2. Focus our complaints toward the Mexican government. It’s allowing Central Americans to travel across Mexico to get to the U.S. border. Its government has the right to change the enforcement of laws with a stroke of the pen.

3. As for the folks illegally crossing our border wanting asylum and refugee status, instead of attempting illegal entry, go to any port of entry and turn yourself and family in for a court hearing on an asylum request. It is the legal way of requesting asylum.

4. To alleviate the separation of children from parents, Congress should allocate money to create long-term (but temporary) family-sized holding areas.

George Gerlach, Gardnerville