Readers Write: The shutdown deal, border security and immigration; State of the Union; American attitudes, Sack's squirrel cartoon

The good news is that a deal to end the partial government shutdown has been reached.

The bad news for those who believe in expanding physical barriers on the southern border — not included in the deal — is that it reminds me of the old "Popeye" cartoon in which Wimpy said "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

Tuesday never came for Popeye.

• • •

Neither President Trump nor congressional Democrats are proposing durable solutions to the migration of economic and security refugees. Migration will continue until very significant action is taken to provide economic opportunity and security in Central America. Walls will not stop refugees seeking asylum at legal ports of entry. And, taking in large numbers of economic migrants does not help House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's California — Los Angeles in particular — where 80 percent of public schoolchildren live in poverty, where more than 50,000 people are homeless, and where there is an acute shortage of affordable housing. We need to put a lot more well-supervised investment into economic opportunity and security for people where they live, both in Central America and here.

The suggestions from the Minnesota Medical Coalition members for relieving the crisis at the southern border ("What we saw in Tijuana … ," Jan. 23) are strong and sensible.

I would like to stress the power that just one person can have in effecting change. Last year my spouse and I observed court proceedings and relief efforts on both sides of the border at Nogales. We were so moved that, upon returning, one individual in our group raised enough money to build a water purification system for migrant children at a relief center.

What if our lawmakers used their collective power to seriously address the suggestions made by the medical professionals from the coalition, suggestions that would eliminate the need for a wall and contribute to peaceful solutions on the border?

• Increase capacity to process asylum applications.

• Allow temporary work visas for migrants who can help with unfilled jobs.

• Invest in Central America to combat violence and grow the economy.

• Support border relief agencies.

What if these conditions, plus an irrevocable path to citizenship for Dreamers, were firm conditions in a negotiation for any face-saving barrier Mr. Trump seeks to erect?

Walls go up, walls come down.

Opinion editor's note: As the deadline for this page approached on Friday, it remained unclear what the agreement to reopen the federal government will mean for the State of the Union address, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday but which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had determined would not take place during a shutdown. The following letters are responding to the Star Tribune Editorial Board's Jan. 25 criticism of that decision ("Pelosi's snub adds to acrimony of the day"):

How about another way of looking at Pelosi's so-called "snub": She magnanimously saved President Trump from the humiliation of trying to defend the appalling state of our union to the overwhelming majority of the U.S. public that doesn't approve of his handling of the government's affairs and blames him for the shutdown and the suffering of 800,000 innocent citizens who are being held hostage as he demands $5.7 billion to build an ineffectual border wall. Just imagine how much stronger and more self-confident he will seem when he can begin the State of the Union speech claiming — which he will, no doubt — that he has single-handedly ended the shutdown by making the greatest deal of his career to date.

I'd like the Editorial Board to consider what would be said in a State of the Union address during a government shutdown. Knowing the usual contents of Trump's speeches, they are full of "the best," "the greatest," etc. How would these comments be received at this time in our lives? Speaker Pelosi was wise to postpone this address until things are back to normal (whatever that is). Otherwise there could be a major uprising in the House during his speech.

The rebuke of Pelosi's "unfortunate diss" was seriously misguided. The Editorial Board claimed that she fails to show respect "for the American institutions that the State of the Union has come to symbolize" and that she has "disregarded tradition and decorum" by rescinding the invitation for Trump to speak. It has described Donald Trump's behavior during his first two years in office. The only way to reverse this megalomaniac's mind-numbing disrespect for American institutions, and our foundations of democracy is to demonstrate that he can't always get his way while our citizenry suffers. Apparently the Editorial Board members have forgotten that, over a policy disagreement, Trump said he would own the shutdown and take full responsibility for it.

Dear World,

Dear, dear World,

The United States of America was founded on the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some very strong and intelligent men developed a Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as our governing documents. These documents were the basis on which to grow and strengthen the very exceptional country it has become over the last almost 250 years. Yes, this republic has had some tough times: civil war, slavery, etc. But we have survived these bumps in the road to become even stronger.

Our previous, less-than-successful president toured many parts of the world apologizing and bowing to other countries leaders for what he wrongly opined were U.S. wrongdoings. This not only signaled a weakness in our country, but also caused an unimaginable split within our own population.

The most important thing our current, duly elected President Donald J. Trump set out to do was to tell the world we are stronger than ever. He also aimed to protect our country's southern border from the unlawful entry of people who have come from countries where there is no "rule of law" and who have no desire to actually assimilate in our country.

Most Democrat citizens act like lemmings and do exactly what their leadership demands, with some bent on writing letters to the editors stating that Trump is not their president and will not abide by anything he does or says (Readers Write, Jan. 25). How sad!

None of the angry squirrels in Steve Sack's Jan. 25 editorial cartoon looks emaciated from hunger, only envious.