The BIGGEST illegal lover that there is......

Dear Ms.

Thank you for contacting me regarding immigration. I appreciate hearing from you.

Nearly everyone agrees that immigration is one of the most pressing issues facing our nation, but we are often divided on the most appropriate way to address this problem. In forming my opinions on this issue, I have traveled to the border and had extensive conversations with many of the leading experts in the field. I have also met with state and local officials in Nevada to hear their ideas on the best way to reform our immigration system.


Based upon this work, I believe reform must be comprehensive. It should not only strengthen our borders against terrorists, drug traffickers and illegal entrants, but should also make our laws more realistic so that they can be more effectively enforced while being more fair to taxpayers and creating a strong domestic workforce that meets the changing needs of our economy.


You may be interested to know that undocumented immigrants are barred from almost all government benefits, including food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, federal housing programs, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Unemployment Insurance, Medicare, and the earned income tax credit (EITC). In fact, under present law, even legal permanent resident immigrants who arrived after August 22, 1996, are not eligible for most federal assistance programs for their first five years as lawful permanent residents. From then on, they must meet several requirements to be eligible for these programs, in addition to the residence, income, and family requirements all other taxpayers must meet.

In addition, many of the unauthorized immigrants in the United States have Social Security taxes withheld from their paychecks but are not entitled to collect any benefits because of their illegal status. In 2003 alone, the Social Security Administration reported that $7 billion in payroll taxes have been credited to its trust fund from Social Security numbers that were either invalid or do not match names in the agency's records. It is believed that undocumented workers make up a large portion of these contributors.

Please be assured that as I continue my work in the U.S. Senate I will keep your thoughts in mind. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. If you would like more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues that interest you, please visit my Web site at http://reid.senate.gov. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

My best wishes to you.

Sincerely,
HARRY REID
United States Senator
Nevada