To the Editor:

As I read about the actions of ICE, I am recalling stories shared with me by my Hispanic friends. One of my Hispanic friends owns a car dealership. So that he could become a legal U S citizen, he had to make the tough decision to return to Honduras for a full year. He had to leave behind, in America, his wife and their newborn child.

Crime rates in Honduras are among the highest in the world. He wanted to live in a country of laws. He is now a successful American businessman.

When my Mexican-American co-worker endured the challenging legal process to make her mom an American citizen, she divulged to me why she persisted. Every time she drove down to see her mom, the Mexican police would force her to pay them bribes.

She worked long and hard to save enough money to bring her mother legally to America because she wanted her mom to live in a country of laws. Her mom is, today, a joyful U S citizen.

Over 7 million unauthorized aliens entered the U S illegally during the Biden years. The Customs and Border Protection Home Self-Departure Program offers a light at the end of the tunnel for those irregular migrants who are willing to endure the legalization process. ICE has received more than 150,000 applications.

These non-citizens applicants will receive cost-free travel assistance and a $1,000 exit bonus. For the undocumented, this voluntary departure helps preserve eligibility for future legal immigration.

Of course, they must be willing to endure the legal process if they want to live in a country of laws.

Charles Danyus

Round Lake Beach