Letter to the editor

Published 1:30 am Friday, January 23, 2026

ICE and immigrants

To the editor:

Peter Kushner asked some relevant questions in reference to the horrible ICE violence, particularly against immigrants, that we see daily on TV. He encouraged the Review to speak up and encouraged our city officials to protect the rights of all citizens.

It seems that mostly non-white immigrants are the victims of the Trump administration’s war against the folks who do the heavy lifting, the unpleasant work nobody wants to do. A 1-18-2026 Seattle Times headline reads: “Washington lost 3,700 farms in five years”, due to the “shortage of seasonal labor, rising labor cost,” and other factors. Who will pick next year’s fruit and vegetables?

These are the very people who plant the seeds for the second and third generation of immigrants to become an indispensable part of the American Dream, advancing the economic, scientific, cultural and academic development of this country.

For me, the immigration issue is personal. I am an immigrant, and I daily thank Asclepius, the ancient Greek God of Healing, for having sent Iranian, Syrian and Indian cardiologists to St. Michael hospital to keep me and other senior citizens alive for a few more years.

I also want to thank the nurses and support staff from the Philippines, Mexico, Korea, Ukraine, China, and Ethiopia that I met at the hospital for their dedication and their concern for the well-being of their patients.

Immigrants have been this country’s lifeblood for 250 years.

James Behrend

Bainbridge Island