Letter to the editor: Illegal immigration is itself a harm

OPINION:

Alvaro Vargas Llosa’s op-ed (“When enforcing immigration law, first do no harm,” Web, June 24) is a bit too hypocritical. Its headline is taken from the medical profession’s pledge, but the piece goes on to claim that “Nothing is gained by mistreating those who work hard and abide by the law.”

Mr. Vargas Llosa seems to be claiming that illegal aliens who work hard are abiding by the law, when in fact their mere presence in the country is illegal and they continue to break the law every day by remaining in the country. When individuals are willing to break that one law, why should we believe they will not break others? Once one becomes a criminal, where does that criminality stop? Does every illegal alien really make a pledge to himself or his god that there is only one crime that he or she will commit and continue to commit daily? 

JACK DUCKWORTH

Burke, Virginia