I thought I'd share this email with you all which is from Oregonians For Immigration Reform. Jim Ludwick, president shares his thoughts on what some of us have considered a bad outcome for immigration reform, in his thoughts might end up being better than we think. I like that he is seeing a silver lining.
OREGONIANS FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM

PO Box 1438, McMinnville OR 97128

Internet: http://oregonir.org Email: o4ir@excite.com

Telephone: 503-435-0141


News Release Contact: Jim Ludwick

November 10, 2006 503-435-0141



Tuesday’s election a victory for immigration reform?


Most political observers have stated that the election Tuesday was a referendum on President Bush’s policies. Democrats gained control of both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Not one Democratic Senator or House member lost their seat. National issues even affected the vote for governor here in Oregon.



Jim Ludwick, President of Oregonians for Immigration Reform stated, "Almost everyone believes that the election was a referendum on the policies of President Bush. President Bush is the chief proponent of amnesty and open borders. If the election was a repudiation of President Bush’s policies, how can it not also be a repudiation of his immigration policies?”



Ludwick went on to make the following points:



The House Immigration Reform Caucus chaired by Congressman Tom Tancredo has 104 members. Their goals are the same as OFIR’s. 96 of the members were re-elected and 2 were open seats.


In Arizona there were 4 anti-illegal immigration propositions on the ballot. Prop. 100, which denies bail to illegal aliens charged with a serious crime, passed 78% to 22%. Prop. 102, which prohibits illegal aliens from being awarded punitive damages in any Arizona court, passed 74.5% to 25.5%. Prop 103, which makes English the official language of Arizona, passed 74.4% to 25.6%, (50% of Hispanic Arizonians voted in favor of it). Prop. 300, which limits certain educational opportunities for illegal aliens, passed by a 71.7% to 28.3% margin.


In Colorado voters passed a referendum that denies valuable tax deductions to employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.


Ludwick went on to say, "Most importantly, many of the newly elected Democrats campaigned on being tough against illegal immigration. In Wednesday’s report on the election, The Oregonian reported that,’Winning House Democrats campaigned hard on a platform that was largely business-minded, fiscally tight and tough on illegal immigration.’"



Immigration reform, our sovereignty and control over our borders should not be partisan issues. They are issues that should unite Republicans, Democrats and independents.



A recent poll by the Center for Immigration Studies reported that three out of four voters believed the reason we have illegal immigration is that past enforcement efforts have been grossly inadequate. Also, when told the scale of legal and illegal immigration, voters overwhelmingly thought it was too high.