Received this through snail-mail today. The letter was in response to one I sent to Gov. Richardson regarding his support of Elvira Arellano:

State of New Mexico
Office of the Governor
December 4, 2006

Mr. XXXXX XXXX
XXXX XXXXX XXXXX
XXXXXXXX, North Carolina 27562

Dear Mr. XXXXX:

Thank you for your note concerning seven-year old American citizen and Chicago resident Saul Arellano and his mother, Mrs. Elvira Arellano.

Governor Richardson has taken a very strong stance on border security, declaring a border emergency to free up $1.75 million for border counties and local governments to hire approximately 10 additional law enforcement officers and purchase approximately 10 additional vehicles. These efforts have resulted in incrased drug arrests, more undocumented immigrants caught and an approximately 80 percent reduction in crime in the Village of Columbus, New Mexico alone. Governor Richardson has also repeatedly requested more Border Patrol Agents from the federal government.

The Governor has long advocated for sensible, fair changes to our immigration laws; updates that include tougher border security and closing the border to illegal immigrants and drugs, and penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. However, because of a failure of federal immigration policy, the Governor believes we need a practical and sensible way to deal with the 12 million illegals already here. He supports a realistic path to legalization for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already here. This is not (the letter bolded the word not) amnesty, it is a way to draw those already here out of the shadows and offer them legal status in exchange for their good behavior, payment of back taxes and fines for their illegal entry, and their learning English, as well as other specific requirements.

Unless our attempts to tackle the immigration problem is comprehensive, it will not work. The Arellano case puts a spotlight on the danger of not acting on a comprehensive immigration plan. Inaction puts our most vulnerable citizens - the estimated three million American children of illegal immigrants - at risk.

If Mrs. Arellano is deported from the United States, she and her young son will be left with a terrible choice. Saul will either be torn apart from his mother at a young age, or he will be torn apart from his native land and forced to forfeit his right as a citizen to grow up an American.

Sincerely,


Becky Gear
Director
Constituent Service and Correspondence