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Letters to the Editor | Feb. 5, 2025

Inquirer readers on ICE raid in North Philly, school choice, and Donald Trump's first weeks in office.

Ray Coyne, 30, of Brewerytown, makes a sign to hold during a small rally outside ICE headquarters in Philadelphia in January.
Ray Coyne, 30, of Brewerytown, makes a sign to hold during a small rally outside ICE headquarters in Philadelphia in January.Read moreTyger Williams / Staff Photographer

Worker rights

The Inquirer provided a good look at the impact of last week’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on a car wash in Juniata Park. Reporter Michelle Myers properly asked the whys, and the owner candidly answered. He seems compassionate and nonexploitative. The need was clear. What was not asked were the hows. As in, how is our immigration system set up to allow and encourage businesses to take this risk?

The Simpson-Mazzoli Act of 1986 was the last overhaul of our immigration laws. It requires employers to document a Social Security card and picture ID for every new hire. Employers do not need to validate the documents with the government. Employers frequently know their employees are not properly documented, as in this case. They are not penalized for accepting false documentation because there is no law requiring them to validate the documents.

An attempt to address immigration must make the system work for employers and workers. A proper law would require employers to validate documents accepted for I-9 purposes. Employers would no longer be in jeopardy for hiring undocumented workers. Workers would no longer be an intimidated and silent workforce. American citizens would no longer feel their status was being undercut by unfair labor practices. Our country has a history of exploiting labor, going back to 1619. Workers who lack rights, who live in fear, cannot turn to the law and are ripe for exploitation. I ask The Inquirer to investigate how the law allows this exploitation.

Stephen DeLuca, Philadelphia

Safety first

Immigration and Customs Enforcement explained that its raid on a car wash was in response to allegations employees were being subjected to labor exploitation. ICE addressed these allegations by making sure the employees would never be mistreated again. The agency removed them from this harmful environment by throwing them in jail to await, no doubt, being sent back to where they came from — where they will be safe. And now, so will we.

An ICE official said the operation “underscores our determined commitment to national security and public safety.” It never occurred to me that car wash guys could be undermining the United States. Prison wardens, get those pardoned American seditionists and their brutal, cop-beating brethren out of jail as fast as you can. The cells are needed for guys who towel dry cars.

And although ICE said it was looking into the exploitation of employees, there was no mention of action directed at the alleged exploiters. This trumped-up allegation was just a flimsy excuse to round up easy targets. I guess the millions of people in the country illegally who are, as the president claims, killers, rapists, gang members, and drug dealers were not sufficiently dangerous to be a priority.

Rob Weiss, Mount Laurel

An opportunity

The departure of Macy’s is an opportunity for the grand court, the organ, and the eagle sculpture to revive Market East. Suggestions of a museum that focuses on the great postcolonial industrial period would draw attention to the preservation of history and would keep monumental antiques like the Wanamaker organ safe. One can only hope the city cares as much as the public does.

Maura Fleming, Jamison

No choice

In a recent Inquirer article, Donna Cooper, executive director of Children First, stated that “the overwhelming majority of parents choose public schools.” Her use of the word choose is flagrantly wrong. Public school district catchment areas dictate the academic future of Pennsylvania youth. Where they live determines where they go to school. Sadly, students and families — especially those living in low-income communities — have limited educational choices. Without open enrollment or educational choice, many Pennsylvania kids — especially the 200,000 trapped in the state’s chronically lowest-performing schools — lack the ability and resources to find a school that better serves their academic needs.

Pennsylvania families are in dire need of educational alternatives. Recent polling asked voters to grade Pennsylvania’s K-12 schools. Nearly two-thirds gave Pennsylvania public schools a C-grade or below. Also, if money weren’t an issue, about seven in 10 said they would enroll in a private school; only 19% chose their neighborhood public school. That’s far from “an overwhelming majority.” Cooper should ask herself: Do Pennsylvanians willingly “choose” to send their kids to schools that fail to educate, or did they lack genuine choice in the first place?

Rachel Langan, senior education policy analyst, Commonwealth Foundation

Trump’s lawlessness

The Inquirer reports daily about the latest outrages committed by Donald Trump and his administration. Firing inspectors general. Firing senior officials in the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI. Firing high-level civil servants. What all of these actions have in common is they are illegal. The president is not a king and is bound by the Constitution and the laws enacted by Congress. Why isn’t The Inquirer making that point every day? Why doesn’t every headline mention Trump’s lawlessness? Don’t allow his disregard for the law to become background noise or a trivial part of the story. Shine a bright light on it.

Flora B. Wolf, retired judge, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas

. . .

Donald Trump has been in office for two weeks, and it’s clear his second term is lawless. Many of his so-called executive orders are not legal due to their unconstitutional content. He said he would shred the Constitution, and he is doing an excellent job of it. His illegal activity includes firing administrators whom he had no legal authority to fire, including 18 inspectors general, senior FBI leaders, and all federal prosecutors who had any connection to the prosecution of the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. These agents were assigned to cases that were legitimate investigations, having gone through all the procedures required by law.

Trump has attempted to take away all the legitimate means of congressional checks and balances, including depriving Congress of its power of funding. Trump illegally refused to follow congressionally approved spending that does not meet his agenda priorities. He needs to be stopped. His actions are clearly illegal and unprecedented. His administration can operate unethically without being detected or remedied. He needs to be impeached, convicted for his abuse of power, and thrown out of office. If there was any doubt about Trump being an insurrectionist, his behavior in office makes it very clear.

Stephen G. Maroldo, Ambler

Not normal

How abnormal is our government today? Normally, the president follows his oath of office to “defend and protect the Constitution.” Normally, the president acts to deliver on campaign promises that help the general welfare (lower prices, better health care, improve the economy). Normally, the president chooses officials for his cabinet who are experts in their fields. Normally, the president doesn’t give access to private information by private individuals. Normally, the president will give orders that are lawful and aren’t challenged or have to be defended in court. Normally, if a president does something illegal, he will be impeached, removed, and subject to the law.

Now, we have a U.S. Supreme Court that ruled the president doesn’t have to follow the law. Now, we have political parties too weak or lacking the courage to insist the president follow the law. Now, we have some in the electorate who either don’t realize or are too afraid to speak out. Do you think these are normal times? What can you do? (Hint: Contact your senators. Contact your representative. Join Indivisible.)

Meg Berlin, Philadelphia

Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 200 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.