Regarding the remarks made by Jesse Jose on immigrants in your Feb. 19 issue:

The writer describes the ambitions of illegal immigrants as being, “not to build America but to commit crimes.” This is simply untrue.

I quote from The American Immigration Council:

“For more than a century, innumerable studies have confirmed two simple yet powerful truths about the relationship between immigration and crime: immigrants are less likely to commit serious crimes or be behind bars than the native-born, and high rates of immigration are associated with lower rates of violent and property crime. This holds true for both legal immigrants and the unauthorized, regardless of their country of origin or level of education”.

Immigrants in our state are caring for our sick as CNAs, nurses and physicians. They run and staff adult family homes for the elderly and developmentally disabled. They build our houses, lay our carpets and groom our golf courses. They start businesses, pay taxes and raise children.

Immigrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America worship God in the Catholic Church, of which I am a member, and are among her most vibrant and active members.

Most immigrants are hard-working, family-centered people who come to better themselves. Personally, I don’t care if they are legal or illegal. This citizen extends a warm welcome to all who want to work and thrive in this nation of immigrants.

– Alice Hori