The news media and politicians have sorely misread the illegal immigration issue. Citizens and those here legally want our border secured and our immigration laws enforced.

There was a clear distinction between the illegal immigrant positions of the candidates in the Florida primary, and Hispanics voted two to one for Mitt Romney who stands for enforcing immigration laws, securing the border and national E-Verify, resulting in self-deportation.

Washington state is the false document capital of our nation. We also have other incentives that encourage illegal immigrants to come here, draining our economic base. Seattle, a prime attraction, is a sanctuary city sitting at the northern end of the drug route from Mexico.

Legal immigrants want the same benefits of legality that we all do -- schools that are fully funded that produce high learning students with a hopeful future, secure parks and playgrounds for family activities, neighbors who greet them with a smile as productive members of society.

Legal immigrants obey our laws, and they want our laws to be enforced. They are the most vulnerable to neighborhood gang crime and they face high unemployment due to illegal immigrants filling millions of jobs outside agriculture. Yes to legal immigration. No to illegal immigration.

Christine Hayes, West Richland