Rodney Drenkow is an attorney, a local business owner, and a former member of the Waverly City Council. This column first appeared in the Waverly Democrat.

This is the most difficult piece that I have ever written. Emotions are inflamed. Positions have been set in concrete. There does not seem to be room for any middle ground. The last thing that I want to do is add to the chaos. But I am also very concerned.

It seems that we have fallen far from what makes America great. There are many, many examples: from treating our allies with disdain, the insane way that trade partnerships for our corn and soybeans that have been built up over decades are so cavalierly discarded, the use of federal agencies as vehicles to control, intimidate, and exact retribution against American citizens, the disturbing treatment of those who exercise their Constitutional right to protest. 

Being a bully does not make us respected. Think Biff Tannen in the “Back to the Future” movies. Rather than “Make America Great Again” we are witnessing the tearing down of the very things that make us great. 

I truthfully don’t understand why some people are so afraid of immigrants. Immigrants are, by and large, hard working people, doing the jobs that Americans often don’t want. 

Yes, some immigrants commit crimes for which they should be arrested, tried in a court of law and, if found guilty, sentenced or deported. Remember, being in the United States without authorization is not a crime. It is a civil matter, like a speeding ticket. Painting all immigrants as criminals demonizes them in the eyes of many people and makes them seem less human. 

Immigrants, including illegal immigrants, are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. Immigrants pay taxes even though they will never receive social security or medicare benefits. Immigrants use far less welfare benefits than native-born Americans. And it has consistently been shown that robust immigration is and always has been a boon to our economy. We should be welcoming the immigrant community instead of demonizing them as lawless criminals.

I can’t help but think that this irrational fear of immigrants appears is racially and religiously motivated. I have often thought that if the people who are crossing our southern border had white skin, blue eyes and blond hair, they would be welcomed with open arms. Just look at how the white “Christian” farmers from South Africa are given the red carpet treatment. 

Immigration to the United States has historically been closely tied with racism and religious bigotry. Irish and Roman Catholics in the 1800s. Italians in the early 19th century. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. People of color or of other religions have always been looked upon as not worthy of being Americans. 

So why are immigrants crossing the border to come to the United States illegally? Why don’t they get in line and make the proper applications like they are supposed to? It is because our immigration system is horribly broken. 

America’s current immigration laws are inherently capricious and  contrary to our traditions. Enforcing these laws is inconsistent with our national character. Basically, unless a person is rich or has an advanced degree, coming legally to the United States is a lengthy, complex, expensive, and nearly impossible undertaking. And yet, we need these people to work on the farms, the construction sites, the meat packing plants, the feed lots, and all of the other jobs that have been filled by recent immigrants.

But perhaps the most troubling is the unholy treatment of immigrants and the people who are exercising their Constitutional rights to voice their displeasure with the policies of the current government. 

Certain government officials are telling Americans not to question what the government says or does, even when what these officials say are obvious lies and cover ups. They tell us that questioning the truth of what we are told in somehow un-American. But the right to question the pronouncements of government officials and to protest the actions of the government is our greatest legacy as Americans and the greatest gift that those who went before us so bravely fought for.

Whether someone is a citizen, is here with permission or is here illegally, if they are in the United States the Constitution guarantees due process to everyone. This means that non-citizens, including undocumented immigrants, are entitled to fair treatment under the law. 

The Fourth Amendment protects all people in the United States from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. Law enforcement must get a warrant based on “probable cause.” People cannot be stopped and searched or asked for citizenship documents without “reasonable suspicion.”

The government has every right to deport people who are in the United States illegally, but only after giving them due process and treating them with dignity and respect. I strongly disagree with the government policy against immigration, but I am especially upset about how they are doing it. They are trampling on our due process rights and acting like thugs and bullies who are above the law, using intimidation and brutality. 

The government has fallen far short of the American ideal in its treatment of immigrants and citizens alike. Let us not lose touch with our American ideals over this irrational fear of people who have a darker skin color or who don’t speak English or who worship a different God.

We need to reign in ICE’s excesses. We need government officials to stop lying to us. And we need Congress to fix our hopelessly broken immigration system.

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Top photo is by Chad Davis Photography. It was taken on January 7, 2026, near Portland Avenue and 34th Street in South Minneapolis, where an ICE agent shot Renee Nicole Good. Available via Wikimedia Commons.