During our recent nationwide initiative to contact all members of all state legislatures to inform them of the December 5, 2007 American Pulse poll on Illegal Immigration, I received a response from a Texas Representative that indicates they will be taking up immigration issues early in their 2008 term.

If you have any statistics, data, news articles, or personal stories as to the effect of illegal immigration that would be Texas specific, please send onto the Texas House Speaker, Tom Craddock: http://www.house.state.tx.us/speaker/welcome.htm or Representative Taylor : http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist24/taylor.htm or Representative Paxton: http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist70/paxton.htm or other representative of your choosing.

MY MESSAGE:

Dear Representative Tommy Merritt:

The nationwide poll below proves that American citizens are fed up with illegal immigration, want a discontinuation of benefits to illegal aliens that should be reserved for citizens and legal residents only, want our existing immigration laws enforced and want our politicians to serve the interests of the CITIZENS, not foreign nationals illegally in our country:

COLUMBUS, OH -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 12/05/07 -- As the debate heats up over whether or not the U.S. Government should provide benefits to undocumented immigrants, most Americans agree that it is not good for the country, according to the American Pulse(TM) Survey of 4,069 respondents.

The poll revealed these results:

82% of Americans are against providing Drivers Licenses to illegal aliens
89% of Americans are against providing Business Licenses to illegal aliens
77% of Americans are against providing Educational Benefits to illegal aliens
74% of Americans are against providing Job Training to illegal aliens
83% of Americans are against providing Housing Assistance to illegal aliens

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THESE ARE NATIONAL AVERAGES AND LIKELY TO BE SEVERAL PERCENT POINTS HIGHER IN A CONSERVATIVE STATE LIKE TEXAS.

http://www.alipac.us/article-2769-thread-1-0.html

I hope you'll do your part in making Texas a state that is secure from the problems of illegal immigration. Protect Texas citizens from the higher cost of living and lower standard of living that goes part and parcel with the foreign invasion otherwise known as illegal immigration.

''The more we become a nation of illegal immigrants, the deeper we fall into anarchy''
- Congressman Elton Gallegly

Sincerely,
xxxxx xxxxxxx
American Citizen/American Patriot
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESPONSE:

Mr. xxxxxxx:
Thank you for your email and the information. The Texas Legislature will not meet again until January 2009 however Speaker Craddick has assigned charges relating to immigration issues to several Texas House Committees to study during the interim. I've attached a link to the interim charges for your review: http://www.house.state.tx.us/welcome.php


In the meantime, Rep. Merritt is meeting with local officials and carefully studying the impact of illegal immigration on his district as well as the entire state.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Foster
Chief of Staff
State Representative Tommy Merritt
jennifer.foster@house.state.tx.us
201 Estes Drive
Longview, TX 75602
(903) 238-9100 Gregg Co.
(903) 881-2077 Smith Co.
(903) 238-9102 Fax
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Information from the Texas Legislature Website:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/welcome.php

STATEMENT BY REP. TAYLOR ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION INTERIM CHARGE
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, December 5, 2007

“I applaud Speaker Tom Craddick on the inclusion of illegal immigration in the Interim Charges that the House of Representatives will study.

“The interim charge is timely and imperative. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, a new report issued today estimates the number of illegal aliens in Texas is over 1.75 million (based on March census figures). This is putting a strain on social services and the criminal justice system.

“Furthermore, it is clear the people of Texas want action on this important challenge. It is with good cause that Texans rank illegal immigration among the top issues they want the state legislature to address. While the federal government continues to shirk its duty, the fiscal and social costs of illegal immigration weigh heavily on Texans.

“When the 81st Texas Legislature convenes, taking proactive steps against illegal immigration - as Oklahoma, Colorado, Georgia, and Arizona have done - will be a top priority for me. I am a proud member of the Texas Conservative Coalition, the conservative caucus of the State Legislature, which is working diligently to formulate public policy proposals to protect taxpayers and to safeguard Texans against crimes committed by illegal aliens.

“I greatly appreciate Speaker Craddick’s commitment to having an open and honest dialogue on illegal immigration, one of the most pressing issues facing the State of Texas.â€