Immigration: Presumption of guilt for detainees unfair

Re: “No minimum wage for immigration lawbreakers,” (TNT letter, 9/29).

The writer compares convicted criminals serving time in prison with immigration detainees, most of who are being detained indefinitely until the immigration court can rule on their status.

There is a big difference between convicted criminals and immigration detainees, especially since many will most likely be released once they have their day in court.

To suggest that they be treated the same way as convicted criminals, regarding how much they are paid for the work they do while incarcerated, is not only a bad idea but also shows how ignorant many people are about our country’s immigration detention system.

Personally, I support Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s efforts to enforce our state’s minimum wage laws for all of the people being detained by ICE who have yet to be convicted of any crime.

One of the core principles of our country’s criminal justice system is that those charged with a crime must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. This principle should be applied to everyone, including immigration detainees.

This story was originally published October 5, 2017 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Immigration: Presumption of guilt for detainees unfair."