Dear Senator Kennedy:

It was with a mixture of dismay, shock, and outrage that I read of the treatment of INS detainees in Los Angeles. Apparently the INS asked men over 16 years of age and country of origin in the Middle East to register, and used this as a pretext to detain a substantial number of those who have been waiting for the INS to process their applications for permanent residence. According to news reports, these men are being strip searched, provided inadequate clothing (jumpsuits, no underwear, socks, or shoes), are being hosed down with water, receiving "snacks" not meals, and being forced to sleep on bare concrete.

I would like to share two comments.

First, the fact that it is the INS doing this comes as no surprise to me. This organization has repeatedly committed egregious violations of both human rights and bureaucratic process throughout recent memory. The INS must be dismantled and rebuilt. All other politics aside, the actions of the INS alone make me embarrassed to be an American in the world community.

Second, the obscene treatment of the Middle Eastern and Muslim detainees must stop immediately. There is no excuse for these people to be treated with any less respect and dignity than you or I would afford a stranger. These people filed applications for permanent residence in good faith, and the INS has failed to process the applications in a timely manner. Although this may not be a satisfactory excuse for overstaying a visa, neither is it justification for the nightmare these men and their families are now being put through.

Senator Kennedy, you have been a champion of civil rights for many years. As one of your constituents, I hope you will continue to uphold these values and work to free these detainees so they may return to their families and their lives while the INS sorts things out in its back offices.

Thank you for your attention.