Here is yet another email reply from Senator Obama over illegal immigration which he calls the undocumented immigration.

I’m not sure which email I sent him that he is replying to, there have been many. It doesn’t matter his replays are all the same.

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From: senator_obama@obama.senate.gov
To: xxxxxx@xxxx.net
Subject: Message from Senator Barack Obama
Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 10:44:47 AM

Dear Xwxxxx:

I appreciate the depth of your concern about undocumented immigration. This is a challenge that must be met now, not later.

Clearly there is strong disagreement within the American public about how to actually solve the problem of undocumented immigration. We are a nation of immigrants, built upon the principles etched into the base of the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." And yet, a broken immigration system has created holes in our borders and an economy that depends on millions of workers hiding in the shadows. In today's global economy, we need hardworking people who are willing to come here and contribute, but unchecked and unauthorized immigration is having significant adverse effects on American workers and on some of our communities’ health and education infrastructure. Americans are right to demand better border security and better enforcement of the immigration laws.

Many people understandably believe that undocumented immigrants should not be rewarded for flouting U.S. law and suggest the solution is to seal our borders and deport all undocumented workers currently living in the country. On the other hand, it is significant that the Department of Homeland Security recognizes that identifying and deporting 12 million undocumented workers currently working in this country would be both difficult logistically and disruptive to the American economy.

The most reasonable and effective response is to stop the entry of undocumented immigrants across our borders, prevent employers from hiring undocumented workers, and establish an orderly, rational path to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants who are already here and contributing to our country. The first priority of any immigration reform should be to secure our nation's borders, which is why I voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which directs the Department of Homeland Security to construct 700 miles of additional border fencing along the U.S. - Mexico border. This bill became Public Law No. 109-367 last year, and construction has already begun. Additionally, the FY 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations bill provided roughly $1.2 billion for border fencing, infrastructure, and innovative technology such as alternative "virtual fences" necessary to control the border.

However, we know that border security is only one side of the equation. With millions of undocumented immigrants living in the shadows, we desperately need comprehensive legislation that coordinates a series of fragmented needs -- from an employment eligibility verification system to temporary worker programs -- into a coherent whole. I support long-term and effective solutions to the immigration problem, including S. 1348, the comprehensive immigration reform bill that failed in the Senate last year. The bill before the Senate was by no means perfect, but it did contain important elements, such as strengthening border control, increasing enforcement against employers who hire illegal workers, and establishing a process by which undocumented workers and their families could earn citizenship after paying fines and learning English. I deeply regret that the Senate was unable to reach common ground on this issue.

Xwxxxx, I know that the people of Illinois, and the country, are tired of a politics that holds progress hostage because of Congress' inability to come together and find solutions to big problems. You may rest assured that I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate towards reasonable and effective improvements to our country's immigration system, and I welcome your thoughts during this process.

Thank you again for writing. I hope my delay in responding will not deter you from staying in touch.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator


P.S. Our system does not allow direct response to this email. However, if you would like to contact me again, please use the form on the website: http://obama.senate.gov/contact/