Dear Editor:
In reading the article about the Ellenville, NY man
ordered deported for having been a former nazi camp
guard, I have some thoughts.
This person is now 79 years of age.
He has been in the U.S. since 1949, i.e., 53 years!
He was a guard patrolling the perimeter of the camp so
nobody escaped.
He was 20 years of age in 1943 when he was a camp
guard for 7 months.
It was a different time. Different era. Different
rules. He was in the military, subject to orders of
his superiors. Hitler was the overall headcheese.
He was carrying out orders, like any soldier would in
his position.
The article doesn't say, but for the last 53 years
that he has resided in the U.S., he has a clean
record, albiet, his conscience might be hurting. It
seems to me, on the surface, that the only reason this
man is being deported, is because of our immigration
law that states that because of his war record in the
nazi regime, disqualifies him from any immigration
benefit and, therefore, qualifies him for removal to
whereever he is from.
For the above, I find that maybe our immigration laws
might need some exceptions, on occasions. Surely
this man ordered deported is a father, grandfather,
and possibly, a great-grandfather by now and removing
him is devastating to the whole family!
He was 20 years old at the time, serving in a
dictatorial regime, following orders for 7 months at
this nazi camp. It was war time. The whole world
was crazy. It was only until after the war ended that
people began to reflect on the atrocities performed by
this regime that this man was a puppet in.
I also feel for the millions of Jews that suffered and
died under this regime for no fault of their own
except that they were Jews.
FMA, Paralegal
Portland, Oregon
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