Another View: Crackdown on immigrants will make cities less safe

I am the daughter of a refugee from Germany. My mother fled to this country in 1936, after my aunt was sent to a concentration camp. My mom was welcomed here in this country.

From kindergarten, I was taught that everyone is created equal. That is what America means to me. I am part of a minority, but in America I am equal in the eyes of the law. Now that most important safeguard is under threat. To change that most fundamental American law will change what this country represents. The proposed laws would make new immigrants guilty until proven innocent. They could be detained for any accusation.

L.D. 366 will do the following that will hinder our local police’s ability to keep the peace and protect our community:

• It amounts to racial profiling by singling out people perceived to be “foreign” for different treatment.

• It undermines the trust between police and communities, which will make immigrant communities fear the police.

• It allows detaining of someone without probable cause, which is unconstitutional.

Local governments should not be forced to choose between their budgets and the constitutional rights of their residents. Ask any police department in Maine, and they will agree with the above.

It is a fact that since 1975, there has not been a single death due to a terrorist attack carried out by any immigrant to this country from any of the nations included in President Trump’s travel ban.

America’s greatest monument is the Statue of Liberty. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.” It is our most visible symbol. We won World War II because of those words. We have benefited from everyone that has come to our shores. If you are a patriot, you would not want this law to be passed.

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