Julie Gittings

State College

I appreciate Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson’s efforts to communicate with voters in Pennsylvania’s 15th District. I would appreciate it even more if he provided accurate, complete information.

In a recent newsletter, Rep. Thompson cited a Department of Homeland Security database listing 45 people apprehended for crimes while in the country illegally. He called the numbers “staggering” and implied the arrests were the result of “years of open borders and weak enforcement.”

That implication is misleading.

Rep. Thompson did not respond to a constituent’s request asking how many of those 45 convictions occurred during the current administration. However, public court records show that many of the individuals were convicted years ago — some well before 2025.

That also directly contradicts his claim that recent border policies are responsible for these cases.

It also undermines the suggestion that extreme new enforcement tactics — such as recent ICE raids in Minneapolis — are necessary to protect communities. Existing law already allows for the arrest and deportation of people convicted of serious crimes.

What Rep. Thompson also failed to mention is a well-documented fact: immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than are native-born Americans.

Fear-based messaging may be politically convenient, but it does not solve real problems. Instead of misrepresenting data, Rep. Thompson should focus on the issues his constituents face every day — rising prices, food security, health care and education.

Our district deserves facts, not distortion.