Dear Editor,

I wanted to respond to the opinion piece Illegal immigration harms citizens and immigrants alike. 

The article itself expresses an opinion, that despite me not agreeing with it, is fine. My main concern is the language used in this article as well as the misinformation. 

Language like “illegal immigrants,” “criminals,” and “these specific individuals” have negative connotations to them that set a stage for hatred toward undocumented immigrants. Technically, yes, they committed a civil offense that is illegal. However, this does not make them criminals as this offense carries the same weight as defamation or a breach of contract. 

Additionally, much of the information cited in the article is either false or comes from terrorist groups in the US that preach white supremacy. 

One of the most alarming pieces of misinformation is that undocumented immigrants are dangerous. The article claimed that undocumented immigrants commit many crimes. The truth is, there aren’t “many crimes” that are committed by undocumented immigrants. On the contrary, studies show that “as unauthorized immigration increases, violent crime actually decreases or there is no effect, depending on the type of crime.” Undocumented immigrants commit less crimes because they have more to lose compared to a natural-born citizen. 

You are entitled to your opinion, but please leave misinformation and hateful stereotypes out of it. Thank you. 

Sincerely,

Ximena Jimenez ’26