Letter to the editor: The ripple effects of deportations

There are communities throughout our country that have suffered from lack of investment and employment opportunities. Immigrants moved into these neglected areas, gradually revitalizing them by bringing small businesses, restaurants and jobs. They have nurtured a sense of community, creating spaces where folks could socialize, meet neighbors and form friendships.

We have a president who won reelection by stirring up dissension among people throughout our country. His threats to further disrupt communities with mass deportations will hurt everyone — not just those facing deportation.

The ripple effects of this policy will be economically devastating for most Americans. Farmers are already concerned about losing money as crops go unharvested due to a shortage of migrant labor. This will inevitably drive up food prices. Furthermore, deportations are expensive. Aviation fuel costs alone for the six-month deportation program are expected to exceed half a trillion dollars. We will bear the financial burden while billionaires profit from the policies they have their proxy president put in place.

“People Get Ready,” written by Curtis Mayfield in 1965, is a song about redemption using the metaphor of a train picking up passengers on a journey toward salvation. It offers hope but warns against prioritizing selfish interests over the well-being of others.

There ain’t no room for the hopeless sinner

Who would hurt all mankind just to save his own.

I hope that we will awaken to the better angels of our nature and our best interests as responsible citizens before it is too late for our country.

Kathleen Acklin

Highland Park