Economic refugees

Re “Divided by death and the border,” Column One, April 2

Thank you for the heartbreaking story about the death of Alberta Trujillo and her newborn baby. My heart goes out to her fiance, Margarito Garcia, and her entire family, both here and in Mexico. I have a dear friend, an illegal immigrant, who works harder and longer than many Americans. The vast majority of people who come here from Mexico and Latin America are not criminals. They only wish to find work that is not available in their home countries. They should be thought of as economic refugees. If the situation were reversed and it were Americans fleeing hopeless poverty, I would hope that someone in another country would show us a little kindness and compassion.

Amy Smith

Irvine

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I appreciated the article on the traumas many undocumented workers face when dealing with the death of a loved one. This article helped put a human face on a population that is too often only considered by many to be just a problem for the United States.

Frank Galvan

Los Angeles

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The Times has really done it this time. A three-page nonstory about illegal immigrants heartbroken because they’re separated from their families by the border. Pardon me if I’m not breaking down in tears over the plight of my illegal brethren separated by the border. Who made them decide to come here illegally in the first place? I can still remember when the front page consisted of real news, not some writer’s misguided idea of a human-interest story.

Phil Hyman

Van Nuys