Regarding the Jan. 1 front-page article “ICE plans $100 million push to hire thousands”:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol are the two primary agencies tasked with fulfilling the federal government’s responsibility to secure the nation’s borders and enforce its immigration laws. The work that both agencies do is vitally important, and it is done, in large measure, by dedicated professionals.
However, it is concerning that ICE’s recruitment plan now specifically targets people who listen to conservative radio shows and country music, as well as people who have attended UFC fights, or shown an interest in guns and tactical gear.
During my 25 years as a police chief, I implored human resources to be strategic with the recruitment budget to target the best candidates who had an interest in serving their community as a police officer.
Every law enforcement agency should be seeking candidates with traits and talents that make a good cop, including integrity and the ability to communicate effectively with anyone in any circumstance. Courage, intelligence, compassion and cooperation are other important traits to determine suitability for law enforcement work.
Political leanings, music preferences and enjoying a good fight are irrelevant.
J. Thomas Manger, Washington
The writer is a retired chief of police of the U.S Capitol Police, Montgomery County and Fairfax County.
Climate risk is investment risk
In the Dec. 31 editorial “Don’t play politics with pension funds,” the Editorial Board framed my approach to managing climate risk and investing in clean energy as “prioritizing environmental activism over generating shareholder value.” The opposite is true: Investing in renewables, moving away from fossil fuels and working with companies on climate transition are responsible long-term investments, as my tenure as New York City Comptroller demonstrated.
Over the past four years, New York City’s pension funds significantly exceeded the target rate of return, growing to $300 billion. This came alongside divesting from fossil fuels and achieving a 37 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The notion that fossil fuels remain a safe long-term bet is also increasingly difficult to square with market data. In the past decade, global investment in clean energy outpaced fossil fuel investment. And of the overall energy investment of $3.3 trillion in 2025, $2.2 trillion of that was directed toward clean energy.
I am also not alone in my financial management strategy. BlackRock, Moody’s and the International Monetary Fund have all acknowledged that climate risk is investment risk.
Unfortunately, BlackRock did not live up to its own financial recommendations and abandoned its decarbonization plans after facing pressure from the Trump administration. This led to my recommendation that BlackRock no longer serve as an asset manager for the New York City pension fund — the decision with which the Editorial Board took issue.
But fiduciaries cannot serve their beneficiaries by putting their heads in the sand, pretending the economy will stand still or by catering to the whims of the president. We serve retirees by anticipating change to the best of our abilities to manage risk and position portfolios for future growth. This is what fiduciary duty demands, and what informed my investment decisions as comptroller.
Brad Lander, New York
Capitalism criticism is misdirected
The Dec. 20 news article “A reckoning over capitalism” was a well-balanced description of the distortions caused by government and money on the operation of our market system. While our capitalist system has its flaws, much of the criticism it receives is misdirected.
The description of the problems in our health care system was especially insightful. It is clear that we could have a more efficient and lower-cost health care system if it was subject to more competition, less regulation and less lobbying influence. That the U.S. ranks last overall among 10 high-income countries on health system performance, according to the Commonwealth Fund, is both telling and a shame because we know how to do better.
Bill O’Keefe, Midlothian, Virginia
Cheers to these patriots
The Jan. 1 front-page article “Tiny Saipan doubles down on a giant Chinese casino” was a valuable call to action for the United States to ensure our relevant agencies fulfill their responsibilities to both our nation and to the patriotic Americans in Saipan and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas.
The inclusion of a picture of service members in the U.S. Air Force’s Red Horse unit was a good reminder. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam demonstrate what recruiters call a “high propensity to enlist.”
In 2013, a digital memorial of “the fallen brave of Micronesia” was displayed at Guam’s regional airports as a somber reminder. They earned their nation’s strong support.
Chip Gregson, Nokesville, Virginia
The writer is a retired Marine and served as Commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force and as Commander of Marine Corps Forces Pacific. He is also a former assistant secretary of defense for Asia and the Pacific.
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