Thread: Email From Congressman Charles Taylor

Knowing of your interest in immigration issues, I wanted to make you aware of recent actions taken by the House of Representatives in this area.

Without question, one of the most serious problems facing the United States is the rising tide of illegal immigration. H.R. 4437, the Border Security Act by Re. James Sensenbrenner, is but the first step in overhauling our nation's immigration policies and implementing genuine, comprehensive reform -- with no amnesty program. While I realize that not all immigration issues such as birthright citizenship were addressed in the bill, the legislation will produce real results in reducing the numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. HR 4437 passed the House on December 16, 2005 -- with my strong support -- by a vote of 239 to 182. Highlights of the legislation include the following:

*The bill institutes an employment eligibility verification system in which employers will check the Social Security numbers and alien identification numbers (provided by employees) against Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records, to weed out fraudulent numbers and ensure that their employees are not working in the U.S. illegally.

*The bill would greatly increase criminal penalties for alien smuggling through such devices as establishing mandatory minimum prison sentences. These provisions were recommended by a panel of border-area U.S. Attorneys to make it easier to deport smugglers and illegal entrants.

*Provisions would stiffen penalties for aliens who re-enter the United States after having been removed.

*The legislation would make aggravated felons (crimes of violence) inadmissible and would bar refugees and those seeking asylum with aggravated felony convictions from receiving green cards.

*Provisions in the bill would authorize and reimburse local sheriffs in the 29 counties along the southern border to enforce the immigration laws and transfer illegal aliens to federal custody. It also specifically reimburses those sheriffs for costs associated with detaining illegal aliens whom they arrest, until they are able to hand them over to federal authorities. This provision deems aliens in sheriffs’ custody to be in federal custody once determined to be in an unlawful status.

*Bars aliens who are potential terrorists or security risks from becoming U.S. citizens.

*Would make multiple DUI offenses a deportable offense for all aliens.

In addition, H.R. 4437 ends the practice known as "catch and release." This year alone, 115,000 aliens from countries other than Mexico have been apprehended and released due to a lack of detention space. The legislation requires mandatory detention for all illegal immigrants who are apprehended at U.S. land borders attempting to cross illegally, by Oct. 1, 2006. This detention requires that all illegal aliens remain in custody until removal from the United States. In the meantime, illegal aliens must post a bond of at least $5,000.

This legislation is a valuable and effective tool in our nation's struggle to secure and contain our borders. I was proud to support the bill and I hope that the Senate will consider and pass the legislation in the near future.

If I can be of any further assistance regarding this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
With warmest regards,
I am,

Me thinks someone is looking for votes

Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I always
appreciate hearing from people back home in Wisconsin. I
apologize for the delay in my response, and I would like to take
this opportunity to address your concerns.
I am deeply concerned about the current state of our
immigration system. Illegal immigration has been a longstanding
problem in this country, but despite past efforts, we have never
dealt with it effectively. Going forward, we must do a much better
job of cracking down on illegal immigration. It is imperative that
Congress enact legislation that secures our nation's borders,
particularly our southern border, to stem the flow of illegal
immigration and make sure we do not end up in our current
situation again. The legislation I have supported includes strong
enforcement measures. It would double the number of border
patrol and interior enforcement officers, increase the number of
detention beds, expand the use of technology to monitor our
borders, and make it easier to deport dangerous individuals.

It is also important to acknowledge, however, that this is a
difficult issue that does not lend itself to an easy solution. While
we must vigorously enforce our immigration laws, we also must
have a practical solution for dealing with the 11 million
undocumented individuals living in our country today. Most of
these people have been here for years. They have set down roots
in our communities, raised their children here, worked hard, paid
their taxes, and stayed out of trouble. Simply deporting all of them
would be both costly and impractical.

Therefore, I support proposals which provide a rigorous,
but fair, path to legalization. The legislation I have voted for
allows an undocumented worker to earn citizenship over the course
of eleven or twelve years if they can demonstrate that they have
been living in the U.S. for a number of years, pay a fine, work for
an additional six years, pay taxes, learn English, and undergo
criminal and security background checks. Only then are they
allowed to go to the back of the citizenship line. This, I believe, is
a practical solution that will allow us to concentrate our resources
on securing our porous southern border and making sure
employers are not hiring undocumented workers.

In March, the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am a
member, took up legislation to reform our immigration system. I
was pleased that the Committee approved a bill sponsored by
Senator Specter (R-PA), a comprehensive immigration reform
package that was both tough and fair. This legislation would make
significant improvements to our border security and enhance
enforcement of our immigration laws. It also included a way for
hard-working people who are already here to earn citizenship and a
legal channel for temporary workers to enter this country in the
future. I voted in favor of this bipartisan legislation, which passed
the Judiciary Committee by a vote of 12-6.
On March 16, 2006, the full Senate began consideration of
immigration reform. Unfortunately, efforts to adopt the Judiciary
Committee's bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform
legislation were blocked despite my vote in favor of it.
Senators Hagel (R-NE) and Martinez (R-FL) also offered a
compromise bill on the floor. The Hagel-Martinez compromise
was similar to the Judiciary Committee bill, but it was modified to
only allow undocumented workers who have been in this country
for more than five years to go to the back of the line and get on a
path to citizenship. Workers who have been here less than five
years would have to leave the country or participate in the
temporary worker program. I voted in favor of a procedural
motion that would have allowed us to adopt the Hagel-Martinez
bill, but, unfortunately, that motion was defeated by a vote of 38-
60.
I am disappointed that the Senate has been unable to
complete action on comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
Securing our borders and putting an end to illegal immigration is
simply too important to our security to give up. I am hopeful that
we will continue to work toward a solution to this problem, and I
look forward to working with my colleagues in the coming weeks
to craft a comprehensive immigration reform package that meets
both our security and our economic needs.
Again, thank you for contacting me. You can be assured I
will keep your thoughts in mind.




Sincerely,


Herb Kohl
U.S. Senator

(Apparently this one felt I was to ignortant to discuss this great plan with me......)


Thank you for contacting me about immigration reform.
I believe that our nation must be responsive to those who seek to
immigrate to this country by legal means. I also believe that our
government must take additional steps to combat illegal immigration and
further defend our nation against the threats of organized crime, drug
trafficking, and terrorism.

Considering that there are an estimated 12 million undocumented residents in the United States, it is evident that our existing immigration policies need to be changed. With our nation's security at the heart of the
argument, I believe that we must commit to reforming the immigration
system and protecting our borders.

After almost two weeks of debate, the Senate could not reach an agreement on a comprehensive immigration bill. I am hopeful that in this
legislative session, we can still pass a bill that would secure our
borders and address our broken immigration system. Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind as the Senate considers legislation on this issue.

Thank you again for contacting me regarding this very important issue.

My best regards.

Sincerely,


Mark Dayton
United States Senator MN

I was surprised I actually got a response on this one. But then again, sense we are in agreement with this issue, he responds quickly.