Below is a response to the recent comments I received from you:


Dear Ms. :

Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about higher education benefits for illegal immigrants and your opposition to the DREAM Act. I appreciate hearing your concerns and would like to take this opportunity to respond.

As an immigrant myself, I believe we need to examine ways to increase our border security and enforce our immigration laws. Further, I firmly believe in the promise and opportunity that this great country can provide to all who seek it. Immigrants who enter our country illegally, and those who employ them, disrespect the law. We live in a time where terrorists are challenging our borders, and we simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, and unchecked. Americans are right to demand better border security and better enforcement of immigration law.

A number of bills have been introduced regarding higher education benefits for immigrants. Provisions similar to the DREAM Act have been incorporated into a number of measures, including the comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Rest assured that I will remain mindful of your opposition to the DREAM Act as we proceed in the 110th Congress.

Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. Please contact me with any additional questions or comments. For more information about issues and activities important to Florida, I invite you to sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov.

Sincerely,

Mel Martinez
United States Senator