Jim Fossel’s Oct. 10 column on immigration (“Democrats’ inaction on immigration is coming home to roost”) presents a very one-sided view of the issue. While he may have a point that Democrats didn’t do enough to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants, he overlooks President Trump’s lack of interest in solving the problem.
Trump actively torpedoed a bipartisan solution because it would have deprived him of a political talking point. Fossel claims that Democrats didn’t object when President Obama deported large numbers of immigrants, but there is a significant difference in how those deportations were carried out. Obama did not turn deportation into a cruel media spectacle.
It is not widely known that Obama deported more than 5 million people. According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Obama focused on “the deportation of criminals and recent unauthorized border crossers.” MPI also reports that both the Clinton and second Bush administrations deported many more immigrants than Obama did.
In contrast, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security says it will deport around 600,000 people this year—about one-eighth the number that Obama deported in four years and roughly a quarter of the rate under Clinton and Bush.
Trump campaigned on removing violent criminals. If that had been his actual focus, there would likely be far less objection. Especially if deportations were not carried out by masked agents forcibly detaining people off the street simply because they appear nervous. As regional Chief Border Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino noted, “Who wouldn’t be nervous if approached by people with guns and no identification?”
Trump’s approach to immigration, much like his overall style of governing, is marked by shock and awe. Fossel should acknowledge that Trump’s methods may be no more effective than those of his predecessors in both parties.
https://www.sunjournal.com/2025/10/26/immigration-column-missed-some-key-points-letter/
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