To the editor,

In the Jan. 31, 2024 Journal letters. Mark Place asked a whole lot of questions. Actually, they were more like political propaganda statements with question marks. Perhaps the following will provide some helpful insight.

Like all recent presidents, Biden has not done well regarding immigration. However, Biden seems willing to find a solution, but the Trump/MAGA crowd recently proved they are not by undermining a bi-partisan agreement put together by the Senate which would have gone a long way toward better control and large reductions of illegal immigration into the US. Biden promised to sign it. Seven of 10 border area senators were in agreement with the proposal. Therefore, instead of Biden perhaps Mr. Place's query should be directed to a couple of MAGA representatives. There are two in northern/western Wisconsin. Derrick Van Orden (R) 3rd District and Tom Tiffany (R) 7th District. Had they (or any other two GOP house reps for that matter) spoken up and supported the agreement it would have put added pressure on the Speaker to bring it forward for a vote. For them it was step-up or shut-up time. They flinched and did neither. 

It is worth noting that Trump had a GOP congress from 2016-18 and could not get an immigration proposal passed or funded. He did get some walls built, but Mexico did not pay for them as he promised; his border policy did separate many migrant children from their parents often housing them in holding pens and immigration did decrease some. Then the pandemic disrupted everything. Biden came to office with an out of control pandemic raging across the country, no national strategy in place to deal with it, an economy near ruin, 9% unemployment and no transition help offered. For two years Biden's focus had to be on dealing with the pandemic and economic recovery. In January 2023, the "do nothing but bicker" GOP congress took over, and we have just witnessed their approach to immigration policy as they rejected the senate's immigration bill without debate.

So the MAGAs continue to promote division and their apparent hate for American democracy if the results don't suit them. They have been in power roughly 390 days complaining about immigration and border security and now they have finally showed us their plan. It is to do nothing and complain about it for roughly another 345 days until a new congress is in place. In the meantime none of those "evil" things about crime, poisoned blood, invasions, daily counts of illegals, invasions etc. they rant about will get resolved. 

Trump bragged that he wanted the blame for killing the immigration bill. So, here goes, from now on those "evil" things happening each day on the border should be multiplied by 345 and attributed to the MAGA crowd and their master. Hopefully, Tiffany and Van Orden will see through this as their GOP colleague in Wisconsin's 8th District Rep. Mike Gallagher (R) has, and they will change course. If not, it is time we change it for them this fall so an immigration bill can be passed. As for Trump, it is best for the country that the only course he should be in charge of is one where golf is played.

Ron Ginsbach

Elmwood/Sun City, Ariz.