Letters to the editor for Sunday, August 3, 2025

Detention center contracts

It's interesting that prior to becoming attorney general, Pam Bondi was a lobbyist for amongst others, the government of Qatar, defending their human rights while thousands of migrant workers died during the building of a stadium for the World Cup.  She was also a lobbyist for the Geo Group.

Border Czar, Tom Homan, was also a lobbyist earning an undisclosed amount of money from the Geo Group. Why is this significant? The Geo Group donated one million dollars to the MAGA PAC to help Trump get elected.  Because of a recent contract its CEO, Brian Evans, said his organization could make an additional 400 million dollars annually as a result of Trump's deportation policies and that he was very surprised at how quickly the contracts were authorized.  The Geo Group is managing the facilities at "Alligator Alcatraz" as well as any additional "detention centers" soon to be built. Wow!  What a coincidence.

The Geo Group has also poured millions of dollars into the Ron DeSantis' election coffers since 2016.  DeSantis has indicated his people are looking for additional sites for more detention centers (managed by guess who?).  Can anyone put two and two together and think there is anything fishy here?

Unfortunately these reality checks will fall on deaf ears amongst many Republican voters who have their heads buried in the sand but over time they will have to come up for air.  When they do, the stench will be overwhelming.  

Robert F. Tate, Naples

Deportation is the answer

I read the Sunday article authored by a member of the clergy titled “Immigration by deportation is morally wrong.”  He starts by writing “It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that immigration by deportation is morally wrong.”  The article continues “the president and his sycophants are convincing the bulk of our marvelous country, built on the shoulders of immigration, that immigrants are criminal, who are ‘poisoning the blood’ of our country, in need of being deported and in detention camps (concentration camps).” The writer gets it wrong.  Some illegal aliens have committed unthinkable crimes and need to be deported now, but if you have entered America illegally, you have committed a crime on day one.

The writer's use of the Nazi comparison with Trump, is insulting to people that believe in the rule of law. The writer ought to think about the Biden administration's morally corrupt open border policy that led to Trump's deportation of illegal aliens (12 million or more) that entered the country over the past four years. What would the writer say to people, like my ancestors, and the many immigrants that entered our great country legally? Were they wrong in doing it the lawful way?  The purpose of immigration is to benefit our country. That is it.  When we import poverty we get more poverty, and America does not benefit, in fact it hurts the citizens.  

The article compares ICE agents to fascist Kapos.  These brave people are enforcing laws that Congress enacted, and in many situations, elected officials stand in their way, placing these federal employees in danger. They deserve respect, not a comparison to the mafia.  

The writer's last comment “The less than super Supreme Court is not going to help” is off target. This Court follows the Constitution and laws of the land.  We finally have a president that cares about and puts the American people first.  

Nick Blauwiekel, Naples

Immigration, detention in Florida

Listening to Governor Ron DeSantis’ press conference last week got me wondering just how big our migrant issue is. Florida stands at the crossroads of the national immigration debate — and the choices we make now will define our values for decades to come.

As one of the top immigrant destinations in the country, Florida is home to nearly 5 million foreign-born residents, including an estimated 900,000 undocumented individuals. They drive our economy, especially in agriculture, construction, taxi transportation, and hospitality, yet recent enforcement trends are punishing even those without criminal histories. Estimates are that Florida's economy could lose $12.6 billion due to deportation of working immigrants.

Florida’s new detention hub in the Everglades — nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” — is already deporting non-criminal migrants in large numbers. Detainees include asylum seekers, visa overstays, and even legally admitted immigrants attending court. Due process is vanishing: no bond hearings, expedited deportations, and courtroom arrests are now standard. Legal groups warn that over 70% of ICE detainees in Florida have no convictions, yet they’re being deported under broad mandates.

This isn’t about safety — it’s about quotas and politics. As ICE ramps up arrests across the state, many Floridians — teachers, EMTs, hurricane relief workers — are quietly disappearing from the workforce. It hurts families, local economies, and the reputation of a state that prides itself on diversity and opportunity.

The irony? Data shows that immigrants, including undocumented ones, commit fewer crimes than native-born citizens. In Texas, which tracks immigration status in arrests, undocumented residents are significantly less likely to commit violent, drug, or property crimes.

That’s why bills like the Dignity Act of 2025 matter. It offers legal status to longtime residents who’ve followed the rules, pays for border upgrades, and includes protections for Dreamers and asylum seekers. It’s bipartisan, balanced, and built for states like Florida, where immigration isn’t just a political wedge — it’s a social reality.

Our state deserves smarter policies that respect human dignity and economic stability. Floridians deserve leaders who protect both borders and basic rights.

Linda Lindquist, North Fort Myers

Religion in workplace

I was shocked to read in the July 29 Naples Daily News that religious marketing and recruitment may now be done by supervisors and employees at a federal workplace.  What an assault on the freedom of religion!

Think of it.  What is an employee to do when the boss, or even a colleague, pushed a sect or religion.

In this era wherein federal employees can be fired without cause, allowing a supervisor to pressure an employee to join a religion or attend religious gatherings is absurd.  Would resisting religious pressure end an employee's chance for promotion, a preferred assignment, or even retention?  This is yet another attack on the First Amendment by this administration. 

Why is our Constitution being trampled upon?

Bruce A. Beardsley, Naples

Alarming trends

When Marines are deployed to regulate a peaceful protest, when the elected of an opposing party are handcuffed, when students are jailed and deported and when non-profit organizations, law firms, universities, the arts, the civil service and scientists are targeted and penalized by the federal government, when immigrants are arrested and imprisoned without due process, one is forced to conclude that our rights are disappearing and that our democracy is in crisis.

When Congress enacts legislation which explodes the national deficit hoping a president will recoup the funds in tariff warfare, when the president's tariffs only cause inflation, when the legislation adversely impacts over 70 million people with health issues and destroys businesses and employees servicing those people, when that same legislation taxes the poor to enhance the rich leading to devastating economic recessions, when denial of climate change results in loss of life, homes and businesses, then one is forced to conclude that our economy is about to tank.

When will we do something about it? Based on current mentality, when it is too late.

Welcome to Trump's Russia.

Mary Taylor, Naples

Disdain for science

The maltreatment accorded science and medicine by President Trump and his administration is appalling, shortsighted, and, above all, dangerous.

A pair of news stories that broke simultaneously a couple of weeks ago highlights this troublesome situation, adjacently  placed in the New York Times under the ominous headlines "Trump Seeks to Cut Funds for Science by Over One-Third" and "Kennedy Cancels Meeting of Preventive Health Panel." 

The former concerns the budgetary proposal by the administration to cut more than one-third of funding for the sciences, including vital basic research, whose benefits often are not experienced for years, but the lack of which can be very detrimental in the short run, too.

While the president  is undertaking that slashing, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS), Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is acting  as an undertaker for the agency's panel of experts dealing with preventive disease strategies by abruptly cancelling  a meeting of the group, an important forum for controlling afflictions like the spread of measles that is running rampant under the secretary's watch. RFK, Jr.'s latest affront to medical science comes on the heels of his dismissing a top-flight group of experts on vaccines and replacing them with his anti-vaxxer stooges. 

The Trump administration, taking a cue from the president, harbors these disdains for science, medical and otherwise, because the scientific method relies upon empirical data and objective facts, not rumors, innuendos, and "feelings," which seem to drive most of the president's decisions on important matters and even some lesser ones, too. 

But the public will continue to pay the price − as it already is doing − for this puerile process. 

Marshall H. Tanick, Naples 

Defense of ICE agents

I want to preface this letter by stating what the mission of I.C.E. is: Enforcing immigration laws; Investigating cross-border crime; Preventing terrorism; Combating human exploitation; Upholding global trade laws.

I want to make this clear because I just read one of the most despicable letters I've ever seen in the Mailbag (Reconstitute ICE - 7/27).

The contributor said we've all seen many videos of how I.C.E. agents conduct their anti-immigration activities: indiscriminate kidnappings, general brutality, and ignoring the law and courts. Has the contributor seen what recently happened in Los Angeles? Probably not because he or she was most likely watching CNN or MSNBC. I think we know who the criminals were here.

Once again the contributor had to go the Nazi route by saying if this was WW II and this was Germany these agents would be called Gestapo or Brown Shirts. Isn't that Nazi analogy getting a little old?

The contributor said many of these agents have been deputized as if they were a posse in the old West. ALL of them are career law officials and some are temporary because, of course, I.C.E. doesn't normally staff for a 20 million increase of illegal border crossings. Would you?

Donald Trump has said on many occasions that countries have emptied their jails and asylums and sent these people to our border. I don't know if all of that is true but there is more than "zero" evidence of it despite what the contributor said. Google Venezuela and you'll see that more than likely Venezuela sent criminals intentionally to our southern border. Does Tren de Aragua ring a bell? That "small percentage" of criminals he mentioned seems to be getting larger every day.

The contributor went on to say that some of these "raiders" (I.C.E. agents for those of us who like to use the correct term) don't show IDs and wear masks because they don't want to be identified as being temporarily "deputized." Yeah, like an illegal would know if they were temps!

Each and every one of these "raiders" wear IDs and you know as well as I why they wear masks. The left would doxx them and appear at their homes if they could. And nothing good would come of that.

But here's the main reason why I found this letter despicable. The contributor said the majority of the agency can be described as thugs. Thugs! These men and women are putting their lives on the line each and every day trying to protect us and I'm betting that if the contributor wanted to call one of these agents a thug to his face, he or she would be more than willing to take their mask off and discuss it in a nice and friendly way.

I'll go out on a limb and say there's no law enforcement personnel in this person's family. I hope not for their sake. Wouldn't want this person having my back.

Rick Manuel , veteran, NCO U.S. Navy, Dade City

Damage to democracy

It’s only been six months since our American Autocrat took office. Since then, the damage done to our democracy has been irreparable and monumental. His Supreme Court (not ours) has granted him immunity while in office no matter what offense he committed. They also limited the ability of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions. Additionally, they allowed unconditional firing of members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Due to these favorable rulings for our orange dictator, he is now using his newfound power to browbeat the media into only favorable coverage. Case in point − the merger approval of Paramount and Skydance. They agreed to being hamstrung by eliminating DEI hiring and only issuing positive coverage of the administration. The list goes on, but we got here by his voters not caring about his crimes and his broken promises.  He has followed the Project 2025 provisions to a tee while saying he knew nothing about it prior to his election. This criminal cares nothing about the taxpayers except his billionaire pals. Mind you, we have three and a half years to endure this malfeasance or hopefully, the midterms next year. 

Glenn Chenot, Cape Coral

Right-wing derangement

I'm trying to figure out why some on the right are choosing now to show outrage at the administration, why over the Epstein files? Why silence when senators, administration staff and others in Congress did insider trading the day before tariffs were announced? Martha Stewart got jail time for that. Why silence when your ACA (Affordable Care Act) filing timeline was shortened and monthly premiums will now go up for the lowest income earners (After 10 years of promises by Republicans for a new health care plan one still doesn't exist, 1 in 4 Floridians are on the ACA). Why silence when Congress doesn't pass a bipartisan immigration bill? They had one before Trump instructed them not to vote on it, let's get one now! Why silence when the Quiet Skies surveillance program was ended, a program that provided air marshals to keep us safe. Why silence when 90% of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau workforce has been gutted costing us Americans 18 billion in higher fees, this does not ease the cost of living that was promised by Trump. Why silence when our White House was used to host a dinner for Trump's largest crypto buyers? Why silence when our White House lawn was used for a Tesla car sales lot? Why silence when the Trump administration revoked guidance to the nation's hospitals which directed them on how to provide emergency abortions to save women's lives? Why silence in his first term when Trump raised tariffs on China saying it would bring millions back to the U.S. but instead America's deficit ended up exceeding what it was under Obama and Trump is trying it again! Why silence when Trump gutted rules that compelled coal plants to cut back on harmful emissions? Why silence when our cost of groceries has not come down as promised? Why silence when teaching real history becomes forbidden? Why silence when the U.S. Department of Agriculture ended programs which help fund schools and food banks to purchase food? Why silence when people daily (many innocent children) are killed in Ukraine, Israel, and Palastine when we were promised those wars would be ended by now? Why silence when a 50% tariff is placed on Brazil because Trump doesn't approve of how their ex-president is treated (that's what dictators do). Why silence when Trump said John McCain was not a war hero? Why silence when police officers were brutally beaten during the insurrection? Sadly, the outrage from those on the right regarding the Epstein file is not because they want justice for the abused woman but because they were lied to by Trump during his campaign that Biden was hiding information and Trump promised to deliver. How silly to believe that Trump and Bondi are trying to protect anyone other than Trump. He was photographed regularly with Epstein and flew a known 7 times on Epstein's private jet. Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is serving 20 years in jail (rightfully so) while all their group of predators roam free.  No matter who those predators are their abused women deserve justice. I believe some on the right have their own version of "Trump derangement syndrome" and don't realize it. 

L. OBrien, Fort Myers

Separating church, state

Mr. Trump’s administration has issued a "Guidance" for all federal employees to talk religion at work. I question its wisdom. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment is why our secular government has survived for almost 250 years without religious battles to seize theocratic power over our government. The adopted "Wall" metaphor separating church and state has caused many in religious communities to view the Wall as an obstructive barrier that should be breached. I visualize a more accurate metaphor than a "Wall" that separates church and state: Imagine a towering Archway of Freedom through which we are all free to enter. The left side of the archway is Church (freedom of religious belief or non-belief) and the right side is State. At the very top of the archway is the critical Keystone (The Establishment Clause) upon which the left and right sides of the archway rest keeping the Archway of Freedom standing tall and strong. Ok, now visualize what will happen to our Archway of Freedom if that critical keystone is removed.

J. Cant, Naples

Ballooning national debt

Trump’s Tax Bill will rip Medicaid away from 17 million families, and this is timed since it goes into effect right after the midterm elections. $4 trillion in tax breaks go to the wealthiest Americans; the bill will balloon the national debt by at least $3.8 trillion. The Cato Institute says the true number is $6 trillion, because many costs in the bill are masked. A deficit which will impact the vast majority of citizens when the dollar fails.

But Trump never promised non-billionaires a rose garden.

Joe Haack, Naples

Stopping for a child

I wanted to thank the garbage men of Golden Gate for taking the time to stop for my son so I wrote this poem for them: Golden Men of Golden Gate; Always on Time never late; They haul away garbage posthaste; With a smile and wave; The golden men will put on a display; For any child with a love of their great machines; As they work to keep our homes clean; As certain as the rising sun; We can depend upon these Golden Men.

Andrew Lehman, Naples

National security breach

Yikes!  This reminds me of a novel by Jimmy Breslin, “The Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight.”  A book about “dis-organized crime.”

The recent disclosures concerning the national security breach are deeply concerning. The magnitude of the incident and the perceived lack of accountability for those involved are profoundly unsettling. My concerns extend beyond the breach itself to encompass the subsequent response. The apparent discrepancy between the penalties levied for minor infractions and the seemingly lenient consequences for high-ranking officials involved in this matter is particularly troubling.

This perceived disparity, compounded by a lack of transparency and what appears to be an attempt to minimize the severity of the situation, contributes to a growing sense of public distrust. The absence of forthright acknowledgment of failures and concrete preventative measures, replaced instead by vague statements and carefully constructed narratives, further erodes public confidence. This lack of candor undermines the very foundation of public trust.

I have significant reservations regarding the conduct of several individuals within the aforementioned Signal chat group. Their actions, or rather, their inaction, raise serious questions about their judgment and dedication to safeguarding national security. The potential ramifications of this breach are far-reaching and potentially catastrophic. This situation warrants a thorough and transparent investigation to ensure accountability and prevent future occurrences. 

Kathleen Kretzer, Fort Myers

Democrats are sore losers

The Democratic leader of Congress, Hakeem Jeffries, is calling or should I say demanding that ICE agents remove their masks so that they could be identified when arresting illegals. There are many Democratic electees saying the same. They need to see the faces of the law enforcement agents that are doing their job.

My question is, where were Jeffries and all of his cohorts when anti-Israeli students were violating the rights of Jewish students at Columbia, Harvard etc. They did not call for the protesters to remove their masks. They said nary a word about the rise of antisemitism on or off campuses. The protesters are still wearing their masks and their scarves to cover up their identities. Not a word of condemnation from the Democrats. They never tried to find out who was funding the nationwide protests.

This illustrates to a tee the fact that Democrats talk out of both sides of their mouths depending on the situation. They never said a word when Obama was deporting millions of illegals, and even under Clinton their mouths were shut. They are all so blinded by their hatred of Trump that whatever he does will never be right. And they never said a word when Biden, Harris and Mayorkas allowed millions of illegals to enter the country just to have people beholden to the Democratic Party. The Democrats are the sorest losers and until they accept the reality of Trump’s election, America will be fractured and all the king's horses… will not be able to put it back together.

Michael Zubrow, Naples