To all who oppose illegal migration and amnesty;
In May 2010, I wrote to my Senator, Robert Menendez of New Jersey complaining about the lack of enforcement of our Immigration laws and how it affects legal residents in this country. I for one have suffered greatly while trying to get a job at 2 McDonalds Corporate owned resturants, where I was openly discriminated against and refused training by Spanish speaking employees who made up 90% of the workers in the stores and spoke Spanish 95% of the time. Infact, after being hired in one store, they claimed I could not start for over a month because my uniform had not arrived. It was clear that they wanted me to give up and go away. I applied to a second nearby store, which was managed by a non-hispanic and got the position, but they informed me that both stores were managed by the same Hispanic Field Manager and that the first store had to release me from their employ before they could hire me, despite now having for a month not been given a single hour of work at the first store! When I was finally released from my first "no hours" position and started at the second store, I soon realised the hostility from the Hispanic supervisors and staff. One of the Hispanic supervisors openly refused to train me to the shock of some of the younger Hispanic workers who could not understand why I was being treated differently. I complained to the non-Hispanic store manager who was very upset after finding out the truth and that the resignation letter I wrote detailing the discrimination had been witheld and hidden from her! My feeling is that they wanted to hire only Hispanic people, and by making it difficault for legal residents like me to work at McDonalds, they could then justify hiring illegal immigrants claiming no legal residents want the job! Senator Robert Menendez sent me the reply below.
(MOD EDIT)

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Senator Robert Menendez <Senator_Menendez@menendez.senate.gov>
To: (MOD EDIT)
Sent: Fri, May 7, 2010 12:12:11 PM
Subject: Response from Senator Menendez


Dear Mr. (MOD EDIT):

Thank you for contacting me to express your concern regarding immigration reform. Your opinion is very important to me, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to you on this critically important issue.

America has a proud tradition as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws, but our immigration system is broken. We must enact practical, tough, and smart immigration reform that strengthens border security, reflects current economic and social realities, respects the core values of family unity, and upholds our tradition as a nation of immigrants.

I believe that the American Dream can and should be obtainable for those who pay their dues and contribute to our society. Regardless of how we got here or where we came from, we all have a connection to immigration. I believe that we can create a safe, orderly, and legal process that preserves the promise of America for all, and upholds the right of United States citizens and residents to seek reunification with their families.

I support legislation that would enhance border security, while also providing a practical way to deal with the estimated 12 million undocumented workers who are already in the United States working and contributing to our communities. Amnesty is not the solution; however, an earned path to citizenship, with strict requirements, is a fair solution. These undocumented workers must pass a series of strict and critical benchmarks, such as paying fines, learning English, and waiting at the back of the citizenship line.

While our views may differ, I respect your viewpoint and thank you for sharing your thoughts with me on this matter of utmost national importance. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of further assistance. I invite you to visit my website (http://menendez.senate.gov) to learn of other important issues to New Jersey.