Thank you for writing to me about the immigration reform debate that has been taking place during the 110th Congress.



The current immigration system is not working - our borders are broken, our national security is compromised, and there is no feasible way to identify and deal with the 10 to 12 million undocumented people now living in the United States. I understand there were mixed reactions to the bipartisan bill that the Senate considered and that there are very strong feelings about this issue. I believe that while that bill was not perfect, it was a reasonable compromise.



Unfortunately, the comprehensive immigration reform bill has stalled in the Senate. Therefore, I believe the next step must be to pass the individual priorities contained within the larger bill, starting with the "Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act of 2007" (AgJOBS). AgJOBS is an important bill to address the current labor shortage facing agriculture today. It will allow certain undocumented agricultural workers to legalize their immigration status in the United States if they can show that they have been working in agriculture and commit to continue working in agriculture for three to five years. It will also reform the current H-2A agricultural guest worker program to streamline the process for applying for a legal workforce.



Again, thank you for writing. I have enclosed a copy of a floor statement I gave when immigration reform was first brought up for debate for your review, so that you may better understand my position on this issue. I hope that you will continue to write on matters of importance to you. Best regards.