Congress needs to find sensible immigration solutions

I would like to respond to a letter by Bruce Johnson, wherein it is claimed that 20 million illegal people are in the United States.

This is a number which has been repeated frequently on right wing media and by the Trump administration, both of which have serious credibility issues. Endless repetition has become the standard method of conditioning Americans to embrace ridiculous beliefs.

According to the PEW Research Center, the number is around 10-11 million.

Also, the statement that these people are "using our resources" is without basis. I wonder if Johnson has ever considered that nearly every scrap of food in his refrigerator is produced by people who originate from third world countries, as well as much of the housing being built in the U.S.

There is no doubt that illegal immigration is a problem, but hatred of these people (which is the basis of the raids directed by Trump) is not the answer.

Without the labor provided by immigrants, the housing crisis will only get worse, and food prices will soar far above what they are now.

Congress needs to find and provide a way path to at least legal residency for these workers to stay in the U.S.

DAN STRAYER

Bonners Ferry