American Legion Report On Illegal Immigration Flawed

Dear Commander Galvan,

I was glad to learn that MALDEF was issuing a statement regarding  the "flaws and distortions" in the American Legion's assessment and general plan  to deal with the illegal immigration problems in the U.S. Was this statement issued, according to your e-mail on May 30, 2008? If it was, will you please  e-mail me a copy for my use here in Washington, D.C.

As you know, I meet with representatives of the various Veteran  Service Organization (VSOs), including the American Legion, on a regular basis  to discuss and advance veteran issues, and I would like to appraise them of  our own
views and opinions on this issue.  

I have done a cursory review of this policy paper by the American Legion  and I find it quiet disturbing, coming from a counterpart veterans organization. For example, I find it incredulous that the American Legion would declare
that  "more Americans are killed by illegal aliens than die in the Iraq War". This assertion is not only inflammatory, but it is not a positive  reality nor a fair comparison of issues. As of May 25 the death toll  of U. S. forces in Iraq was 4,071. More than 23,000 have been severely wounded,  some 320,000 have received brain injuries and 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering  from major Post traumatic Stress Depression. On the other side, hundreds of  thousands of Iraq
civilians have been killed and maimed in this war. The  American Legion plan also proposes to employ U.S. military resources  along the border, "whereby units can train in a real world  scenario", in support of the U.S. Border patrol
and local law enforcement  agencies". The American GI Forum should strongly counter this unsound  proposition.

The American Legion's plan to address illegal immigration is riddled with more "flaws and distortions", Let me know if you need additional copies of American Legion's 35 page brochure. If you have any questions or comments, please call or  e-mail me.

Thank you,

Lupe Saldana  
Former National Commander
American GI Forum of  the US