Twice since last October, Juan Antonio Velazquez was arrested and booked into the Lodi jail.

Everyone knows our immigration policy must change.

Last week, President George W. Bush asked Congress to extend extra time to illegal aliens waiting for a green card.

I am 84 and have seen a lot of stuff happen in this country. I was born in SoCal, went to NorCal for college, then to Texas to pursue a career in the oil business.

With our fair city currently being besieged by no less than 20 gang-related acts of violence in the past month or so, it should be clear to all that Lodi, at least the Eastside, has a serious gang problem.

According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 54,000 new jobs were created in May. More than half were in the low-paying service industry. As the 14 million unemployed know all too well, the longer they're out of a job, the more time it takes them to find a new one. About 45 percent of those workers have been unemployed for six months or longer, a higher percentage than at any other time since the Great Depression.

When I first learned about the sexual misconduct charges against Lodi dentist Ahmed Bakr, the Egyptian national convicted of groping his female patients, I wondered how he got into the U.S.

As the truth leaks out about how the U.S. government ignored ample evidence that insane immigration policies might lead to disaster, more and more bad guys are turning up in white hats.

Last week, 10 Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents filed a lawsuit in a Dallas federal court against their superiors, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and ICE director John Morton.

After 25 years of studying federal immigration policy, I'm surprised when I stumble upon a new wrinkle. During a quarter of a century on the immigration beat, I've seen almost everything.

For Lodi Unified School District's high school seniors, most will face the bleakest employment prospects since the Great Depression.

When I think about the immigration protests of the past weeks and anticipate the big one on May 1, I'm reminded of the advice we get from our family dentists: "Don't wait too long to take care of this. If you do, it will only get more painful and more expensive."

So Lodi is upset about its recent increase in burglaries?

So Lodi is upset about its recent increase in burglaries?

Regarding Sam West's letter to the editor ("It's time America controls its borders," News-Sentinel, Oct. 19): He is right-on.

Regarding Sam West’s letter to the editor (“It’s time America controls its borders,” News-Sentinel, Oct. 19): He is right-on.

So, the Lodi Police Department is going to start checking immigrant status of arrestees - "Policy to check for illegal Immigrants," News-Sentinel, April 2. Well it's about time! A few years ago, I called the Lodi Police Department to report illegal immigrants at an address in Lodi. The woman who answered rudely responded with "So what do you want us to do about it? Why don't you call the Border Patrol?"

In a Nov. 23 editorial headlined "Challenges that we must face," the News-Sentinel named overpopulation as one of the most pressing social issues of our era.

A year ago, some friends and I were wondering what it would take for the federal government to wise up about the country's immigration laws.

The April 26 and May 3 columns by Joe Guzzardi regarding the Latino Family Literacy class in the Lodi Unified School District and other districts speak volumes about our dismal immigration policy.

The April 26 and May 3 columns by Joe Guzzardi regarding the Latino Family Literacy class in the Lodi Unified School District and other districts speak volumes about our dismal immigration policy.

No one is surprised but millions of Americans are disappointed and angry. The estimated number of work permits to be issued to alien DREAMers now stands at 2 million.

Many headlines about the Supreme Court decision on Arizona S.B. 1070 indicate that the justices cut the bill back to its bare bones. In June 2010, Arizona passed legislation that allows law enforcement officers to inquire about immigration status when an individual is lawfully detained and suspected to be illegally present. But this week's news stories mislead. The law's key provision, proof of status, remains.

After two weeks in Pittsburgh, one thing stands out: everything is green.

Just like their elected leaders, local employers and residents have mixed feelings on illegal immigration, while some area students continued the protests of this past weekend by walking out of their classrooms.