Jayden Guerrero: Deportation too severe a punishment for some crimes
How should local law enforcement deal with undocumented immigrants detained on minor violations? This is part of a much broader and controversial national debate over illegal immigration. But dealing with immigrants who break the law is a challenging question.
What if the person arrested was an American citizen? If authorities would let the citizen off with a warning, they should do the same for the immigrant. Sometimes, even after committing a federal offense, the majority of white Americans still get off easy.
Most immigrants, legally here or not, are just trying to make a living and fit in like the rest of us. Illegal immigrants should not be sent to federal authorities after committing minor crimes, especially if it is their first offense. The punishment for any crime, committed by anyone, should fit the crime. Deportation is a very harsh punishment and should be reserved for more serious criminals.
Jayden Guerrero, Merced
This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Jayden Guerrero: Deportation too severe a punishment for some crimes."