Reactions to ‘When ICE came for Jeremy’: Staying on expired visa has consequences (Your Letters)

Self-deporting saved taxpayers the expense

To the Editor:

Regarding “When ICE came for Jeremy, Syracuse’s underground railroad helped him escape the country” (Nov. 14, 2025):

Friday must have been a slow news day is all I could think after seeing your Syracuse underground railroad article. The alliteration of Jeremy with the famous Jerry Rescue was apparently too juicy to pass up — since Jeremy Dottin-Reina being in the country with an expired visa is totally compatible with the immoral Fugitive Slave Act (said sarcastically). The ultimate kicker is that “Jeremy is now safely back in France.” As if being detained by ICE would yield a different result!

Congratulationsto Jeremy’s friends for doing the work of ICE and saving the taxpayers the money it would have cost for him to go through the legal process for persons violating federal immigration laws.

Bill Putman

Liverpool

Why do we excuse breaking immigration law?

To the Editor:

I am growing weary of your paper’s almost daily laments regarding “illegal” immigrants being detained for deportation as if they are victims of an oppressive government. The simple fact of the matter is that they broke the law when they decided to enter “illegally.” What other laws do we ignore with no consequences for the lawbreaker? Do we say that because a person needs money, they can rob a bank? Or because they are under stress, it’s OK to drive under the influence? Of course not! Why then should we excuse the breaking of immigration law?

You may say that seeking asylum is not a crime. Well, if they were seeking asylum, they should have applied for it legally at a port of entry and waited their turn. But instead, they chose to jump the line and cut ahead of those doing it “legally.” I wonder how those people feel who are still waiting in line.

Now the Catholic Church has decided to jump into the fray in support of those who broke our laws. Where were they when the previous administration allowed human trafficking, drug transport and criminals into our country by not securing our borders and enforcing immigration law? Since Catholic Charities states that all their programs operate within U.S. law, they should respect U.S. law, not encourage those who broke it.

I am thankful for President Donald Trump and his zero tolerance policy regarding illegal immigration. If migrants know that the only way to enter America is legally, they will either stay out or do so. Then they will be welcomed with open arms as our country has always done for “legal” immigrants.

Louis Loiodice

Marcellus