In the Feb. 6 article “More asylum seekers reach border” (Page A3), I was struck by the contrasting responses of the Mexican and American governments to the asylum seekers’ presence at our southern border.

The Mexican government recognized the migrants for what they are: desperate asylum seekers with “express intentions of surrendering to U.S. authorities.” The Mexican government set up shelters for them and provided blankets, food, and wireless access. The Mexican government assigned military escorts to keep the migrants safe from harm at the hands of local crime groups.

On the other side, our government met these same asylum seekers with “U.S. agents with riot gear and shields.” Our government looked upon the migrants as themselves a crime group, to be met with hostility, not aid.

Trump’s homeland security secretary, Kirstjen M. Nielsen, offered a statement that misleadingly suggested these migrants and their children posed a serious physical threat to our law enforcement personnel, whom Nielsen placed “on the front lines” of a war zone.

I like the idea of an America that is great, but each day we are led further away from such a country by Trump and his cohorts. Perhaps our Mexican neighbors can help point the way back.

LeRoy J. Mottla

Peaks Island


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