Letter to the editor – We need Riley in Congress 

Good grief, the lies about immigration and complaining about securing the border just won’t stop. Enough! It’s a mess. Let’s fix it.

Josh Riley, candidate for House of Representatives NY-19, has a solid grasp of the actions Congress needs to take to expedite legal immigration and improve the nation’s security. He has the expertise, the dedication and the forward-thinking outlook to get to work so we can get this mess cleaned up.

Riley’s experience includes advocating for fair immigration policies before the Supreme Court. He’s been active in drafting bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform. What has his opponent, incumbent Marc Molinaro done? Nothing but lie and complain.

Let’s start with the huge lie about ‘open’ borders. The United States borders are not open for anyone and everyone to come on through. They’re not secure enough, but they are not open. Hiring more border agents and putting resources into advanced technology will enable law enforcement to do their job, will address drug smuggling and people crossing the border illegally. More immigration judges to process asylum claims will result in more quickly deporting people without a proper claim and allow those who can stay the status they need to legally join the work force. These are solutions Josh Riley supports.

Here’s why we need a Representative in Congress who will fight to implement these solutions. The agricultural industry and the NY-19 economy relies on a year-round workforce. The immigrant population plays an integral role in our agricultural workforce. We need workers for our farms to be productive. A secure border and immigration reform, versus the mess we have is literally the difference between having food on our tables and not. Molinaro has taken no action to assure the workforce that sustains the agriculture of New York’s 19^th Congressional District. He ignores reality and sacrifices the future every time he lies about immigrants and does nothing to secure our borders. Lying and complaining will be Molinaro’s legacy.

We have the opportunity to silence Marc Molinaro’s lies about migrants and complaints about border security by electing Josh Riley to Congress. We deserve to be represented by someone who values America’s tradition of immigration and will take action to keep our borders secure.

Anne Garretson, Ithaca