Madam, - Trina Vargo of the US-Ireland Alliance argues against a "special deal" for the tens of thousands of undocumented Irish in the United States (Opinion & Analysis, November 16th).
While I am a great admirer of her and her organisation, I vigorously disagree with her view.
Ms Vargo contends that efforts to aid the undocumented Irish are tantamount to "preferential treatment". This may be so, but the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform already tried joining forces with the wider immigration lobby, to no avail. Now the choice for Irish and Irish-American advocates and politicians is either to advocate specifically for the undocumented Irish or to do nothing.
In Boston, my home city, I count many undocumented Irish among my friends. Some have been living and working in the US for many years. They have added tremendously to my city's cultural and social fabric. They love Ireland, but they also love their lives and livelihoods. I will not turn my back on them. And I expect Irish and Irish-American politicians to do their utmost to better their situation.
Nearly 20 years ago, an Irish-American politician who happens to be my uncle, Congressman Brian Donnelly, carved out a "special deal" for the undocumented Irish: the "Donnelly Visa". For approximately 16,000 visa recipients and their families, Brian Donnelly was a champion. All these years later, in a restrictive and intimidating post-9/11 Fortress America, I hope that the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform will eventually deliver today's undocumented Irish theirs. - Yours, etc,
LAWRENCE DONNELLY, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, National University of Ireland, Galway.
Madam, - Trina Vargo is absolutely right. The issue of immigration, legal and illegal, is a bane in my everyday existence. Although I am not affected directly due to my birth in the UK, my father's stories of "No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs" notices remain embedded within my psyche.
Today, all Western societies protest against the "strain" of illegal immigration and, in a bid to break the back of immigration as a whole, we are fed phrases such as "EU migration" and "Non-EU migration" by no less notable global citizens than David Cameron. The real phrase that comes to mind is: "Divide and rule"!
The moment immigrants in the West begin to see themselves as distinct and different from each other, the anti-immigration forces get stronger and their targets get a lot weaker. All immigrants, especially the so-called legalised ones, have a duty to remain under one banner. It's one cause, one struggle and it needs just one front.- Yours, etc,
KANMI IYANDA, Percy Place, Dublin 4.