Donald Trump and Greg Abbott vs. Migrants

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For Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas focusing on the border, and the legal wrangling over his border enforcement program, have already brought major political gains.Credit…Erin Schaff/The New York Times

To the Editor:

Re “Bus After Bus, Texas Changed U.S. Migration” (front page, July 24):

Texas did indeed have to bear the brunt of immigrants crossing its border from Mexico, and the rest of the nation might have stepped up to share the Lone Star State’s burden had Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas played the role of statesman rather than partisan gamesman.

He could have called a meeting of the nation’s governors and mayors, even sat down with the White House and Congress, to propose the orderly, organized sharing of the costs and administration of an unprecedented immigrant crisis. Instead, he grandstanded by depositing often desperate people in the middle of Northern cities, most of them carefully chosen for being in the hands of Democrats.

For this, Mr. Abbott gained what he sought: headlines and cheers. But in doing so, he squandered his honor. And in the long run, he’ll be recalled in infamy.

James M. Banner, Jr.
Washington

To the Editor:

Re “Large-Scale Deportation and What It Would Take” (news article, July 18):

Former President Donald Trump’s pledge, if he is re-elected, to immediately launch “the largest domestic deportation in American history” by first rounding up millions of people and putting them in detention camps was prominent among the rallying cries at the Republican convention last week.

This raises a number of critical questions. Will undocumented immigrants from Canada and many European countries, including Ireland, Italy and Poland, be in these roundups? Or will the roundups be focused exclusively on people from Latin America, Africa and Asia?

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The outcome of the presidential election is still uncertain. But all people potentially facing the dire threat of deportation should strongly consider asking their voting friends, family members and employers to appreciate their situation before casting their ballots.