Shame on our federal representatives Sen. Hassan, Sen. Shaheen and Reps. Pappas and Goodlander for voting for the Laiken Riley Act. This bill, proposed as some sort of “fix” to curb crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, means the erosion of due process for suspected criminals. The bill provides that anyone may suspect someone of a crime, round them up and send them off for deportation. All of this without seeing the inside of a courtroom or any of the provisions of due process our country provides. Are we to allow vigilantes to administer this street justice to people they think are undocumented? Are we to allow the xenophobes of the Trump Administration to smudge our Constitutional rights? I urge our representatives to get out of their bubbles more and talk with folks in immigrant communities. You’ll find hard-working, dedicated people who came here for a better life and the means to support their families. You’ll find children wanting free and fair education in our schools. To be sure, there are criminals in our country, but not disproportionately in immigrant communities. I want to be inspired by leaders in these times, not angry for their capitulation to the erosion of our freedoms.

Scott Nichols

New London