Dear William:



Thank you for contacting my office in regards to illegal immigration. Your correspondence is highly valuable and I appreciate your sentiments.



Like you, I am deeply concerned about the issue of illegal immigration. I support a comprehensive immigration reform strategy that will end illegal entry and effectively address the reality that 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States , many of whom hold jobs, make significant contributions to our economy, and have children who are American citizens.



As you know, immigration reform requires action on many fronts. The Department of Homeland Security does not have the resources to adequately protect our borders, and the system for legal immigration to our country is broken. Citizenship and Immigration Services must be reformed to eliminate the unacceptable backlog of immigration applications for legal immigrants and effectively track immigrants granted legal entry. We must also be sure that the current laws on the books - which instruct employers to verify immigration papers - are enforced. No one wants to make this task more onerous or burdensome, but if we reduce the demand for illegal immigrants, we reduce the supply.



Agriculture is one of the most important industries in Upstate New York. While some farmers can find sufficient labor locally, many can not find the workers who allow them to keep their family farms in business. I do not support cutting off the labor supply to Upstate farmers who depend on seasonal workers to run their businesses; America 's farmers should not be punished for government failure to adequately police our borders and implement a reasonable, transparent guest worker program.



Congress faces the urgent task of enacting comprehensive reforms that will preserve the traditions that have made this nation great, while addressing the security challenges we face. As debate continues on immigration, please be assured that I will work to pass a bipartisan plan to reform a broken system in a way that protects families, strengthen our border security, and enforce the laws of our country.



Again, thank you for your opinion and letter. I am most appreciative. Should you have additional comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. My door is always open.


Very Truly Yours,


Paul D. Tonko.

MEMBER OF CONGRESS

My opinion is Tonko is another open border Lib....