Identity Theft Arrests Challenged By Immigrant-Rights Groups

I am saddened to learn of the pain that identity theft has caused you. However, I believe that in this case, even the government admits that the charge of aggravated identity theft could not stand, thus their willingness to negotiated a softened plea.

According to the main interpreter in the case, the majority of the prosecuted workers did not understand what a Social Security number was. They were chiefly Guatemalan workers of Mayan descent with little to no understanding of the finer points of American tax laws-- difficult even for me, a college-educated American to understand.

Their employers had arbitrarily written down fake Social Security numbers without their employees' consent. In fact, the majority of the numbers that were assigned did not belong to anyone else. The illegal immigrants (which I will not dispute that they were) had no intention of stealing others' identities, they simply wanted to work.

I agree wholeheartedly that we should have a system in place to combat identity theft. However, I think that it weakens our laws to misapply them to people who have not actually committed a crime. The accusation of aggravated identity theft in Iowa is an example of criminalizing people who should simply be deported, rather than incarcerated. Let's evaluate people based on the laws they break, not our feelings of indignation. America is a great country, let's keep it that way by keeping our justice system just.

I read your magazine every month and look forward to your newsletters. I am supportive of diversity programs and know that the support of diversity in the workplace is not only the right thing to do, but is also great for the bottom line. Only good can come from having a diverse workforce.

However, I was unhappy to see the article on identity theft in your newsletter. I do not have pity for anyone who steals another person's identity- it has happened to me and I am still trying to recover three years later. The author seems to minimize the theft by saying that since they might not have signed up for a credit card that it isn't wrong. The fact is that as individuals they broke the law and as individuals they should be punished. I do not understand how minority right's groups feel that they will further their cause by fighting for criminals. If you break the law you should be punished and I do not want to hear anyone whine that it is because of a race, color, gender,etc- NO! It is because you broke the law and stole something from another person that they will have to work hard for years restoring. Bottom Line!

I am so very tired of the irratinal thinking by people who can not see beyond the immediate. Why would this article be a source of information for rational human beings??? Of course, if someone steals your identity causing great harm financially, emotionally,etc that low life should be punished, deported, etc. Why would the victim be the only one punished? Where is the common sense here?