Thread: Response from Dick Durbin

And I live in CA not IL, and yes, I immediately replied with the logical "attrition through enforcement" theory.

August 7, 2007

Mr. xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxx, CA 91301

Dear Mr. xxxx:

Thank you for contacting me about immigration reform. I appreciate hearing from you.

Our nation faces a host of problems as a result of years of inattention to our immigration policies. An estimated 800,000 illegal immigrants are added to our population each year. Roughly half of them enter the country illegally, while the other half overstay a temporary visa.

Illegal immigration raises national security and economic issues that must be addressed. I have worked to reform our immigration system comprehensively, in a way that is tough, realistic, and consistent with our moral values.

The immigration reform legislation the Senate considered in June would have improved border security by increasing manpower and deploying new technology. Many constituents asked for a bill that will secure our borders before putting illegal immigrants on a path to legal status. In response to that concern, a "trigger" was included in the immigration bill, requiring that the bill's border security and enforcement provisions be implemented before any program is started that would address the status of illegal immigrants.

The reform bill would have strengthened enforcement against employers who hire illegal immigrants. The federal government must crack down on employers who ignore our nation's laws and hire illegal immigrants. The reform legislation sought to strengthen the penalties for hiring illegal immigrants and provide more resources to enforce these laws. Although worksite enforcement alone cannot solve the problems caused by illegal immigration, it is an essential element of comprehensive reform.

If we are serious about reform, we also need a realistic approach to the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants who live and work in our country. Mass deportation of these illegal immigrants is not an option. It is impractical and too expensive. Experts estimate that deporting all of the undocumented immigrants would cost over $200 billion, five times the annual budget of the Department of Homeland Security. Instead, we need to offer immigrants who work hard and demonstrate a long-term commitment to be law-abiding, contributing members of our society a chance to pay fines and earn their way to permanent legal status over the course of many years.

Some voices in the immigration debate called the Senate bill an amnesty for illegal immigrants. I oppose amnesty because it is not right to reward those who have broken the law with automatic citizenship. The bill we considered would not have given amnesty to illegal immigrants.

Under the bill, undocumented aliens would have been able to earn their way to legal status only if they had a clean criminal record, were continuously employed, paid thousands of dollars in application fees and penalties, passed a security background check, passed a medical exam, learned English, learned U.S. history and government, paid all back taxes, went to the back of the line behind all applicants already waiting for green cards, and left the United States to apply for legal permanent residence at a foreign consulate.

If we do not give people who are already a part of our communities the chance to earn their way to legal status, we will not solve the problem of illegal immigration. People who are living here illegally will stay in the shadows instead of coming forward to register. This hurts our national security and hurts American workers, who are being undercut by illegal labor.

Strengthening our border security is a critical component of reform. Soon after the debate on immigration reform, the Senate passed a Homeland Security Appropriations bill that would fully fund - and go beyond - the President's budget request for Fiscal Year 2008 for border security and immigration enforcement. I voted for the bill. It includes $570 million to hire 3,000 additional border patrol agents; $1 billion for border fencing, infrastructure, and technology; $146 million for 4,000 additional detention beds (3,050 more than the President requested); additional funding for law enforcement officials who arrest illegal aliens and ensure their return to their home countries; and $15 million above the President's request to expand worksite enforcement investigations. The bill includes $3 billion in emergency funding to ensure that the necessary border security and enforcement provisions are implemented quickly.

I am deeply concerned about the potential impact of proposed temporary guest worker programs on the American workforce. In contrast to those immigrants who are already here and actively engaged in our workforce, guest worker programs would bring in a large future flow of workers who might otherwise never come here. I voted to eliminate the guest worker program in the Senate immigration bill. When that effort was unsuccessful, I offered a Hire Americans First amendment to require employers to seek American workers for their open positions before they try to bring in guest workers. This amendment was approved by the Senate in an overwhelming, bipartisan vote. The Senate also approved language I offered to protect American workers and address major abuses in the H-1B visa program.

There is no perfect solution to the problems we face as a result of our broken immigration system. Today, our borders are not secure, our workplace enforcement laws need reform, and our immigration policy fosters a shadow economy for millions of immigrants who simply want to demonstrate that they can be hardworking contributors to the greatness of our country. I will continue to work for a package of reforms that will protect American workers and that will be tough, enforceable, economically sensible, and morally defensible. I will keep your views in mind as the debate continues.

Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin

United States Senator

RJD/tf

all us illinoisians want to extend our apology for having elected such a big idiot! dickie was at the illegal immigration marches (the invaders) last year in chicago and was falling all over himself to get their support.

The least these Amnesty idiots could do is come up with some original content and layout for their mass produced Pro Amnesty form letters. This one looks like Kennedy's, McCain's , ETC.

They must have found a sale on carbon paper . They need to find new jobs that do not require communication with the American people.

Oh , wait , I am in error , they already have.

Those are the same lame and stupid comments we hear everyday from the morons. And I am getting sick of the word "trigger". What's that all about?

It is all elevator music and recorded messages with them. No one wants to hear it when the cable has snapped and elevator is plunging to the basement floor.

Heh. I got a generic message reply from Hillary Clinton last night... Not worth posting as it didn't answer my questions or concerns.... I had many good points and all I got was a generic message!!!

Don't you love it when they say they want to hear our idea's, then we write to them and they send us a form letter back!!

Yesterday on Lou Dobbs, Specter said he was always glad to hear the idea's of the citizens, This from the man that shut off his phones during the fall of the famous amnesty bill!!

From the look on his face I do believe he is getting an ear full out on the road this month GIVE HIM HELL !!!To all that will come in contact with him, and if anyone lives in the area's he will be visiting I'd make a special effort to be there!!!

I believe Sen. Craig will be here the end of Aug. I am looking so forward to coming face to face with him

My email response to Sen. Durbin:

Sen. Surbin:

You took an oath to defend the U.S......and as a U.S. citizen butd not a constituent, I still have the right to complain to you for not upholding your oath of office.

YOU are one of the members of congress RESPONSIBLE for what YOU CALL BROKEN LAWS. You have been in the senate since 1997 and before that, the House for 7 terms. That is a total of 24 years. This means you were PART OF THE AMNESTY DEBACLE 22 years ago. YOU HELPED PASS BROKEN LEGISLATION? Shame on you....and now you want to repeat the mistake?????

THEY ARE NOT BROKEN, they are simply NOT ENFORCED.

DO NOT KEEP TELLING US 20 - 30 million illegals cannot be gotten rid of.

SECURE THE BORDER...
VIGOROUSLY PROSECUTE ANYONE HIRING ILLEGALS...
CUT OFF THE PUBLIC DOLE...

Millions will self-deport. We can then deport the rest. It WOULD BE a lot cheaper then supporting them!!!

And don't tell us they are needed to "pick our fruit & veggies." Less then 2% work in the fields.

Frankly, people are getting tired of career politicians who feel they can tell the American people THEY KNOW BETTER. YOU DON'T KNOW BETTER! Unless you call knowing better, taking billions from senior citizens (medicare) and giving it to illegals in the form of benefits! Unless you call giving health care to "children" up to age 25 (MANY OF THEM ILLEGALS) knowing better.

It's time to start listening to the CITIZENS and LEGAL immigrants,
instead of pandering to racist organizations like LARAZA. It's time for OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO START REPRESENTING US INSTEAD OF THE ILLEGALS.

Originally Posted by NCByrd

My email response to Sen. Durbin:

Sen. Surbin:

You took an oath to defend the U.S......and as a U.S. citizen butd not a constituent, I still have the right to complain to you for not upholding your oath of office.

YOU are one of the members of congress RESPONSIBLE for what YOU CALL BROKEN LAWS. You have been in the senate since 1997 and before that, the House for 7 terms. That is a total of 24 years. This means you were PART OF THE AMNESTY DEBACLE 22 years ago. YOU HELPED PASS BROKEN LEGISLATION? Shame on you....and now you want to repeat the mistake?????

THEY ARE NOT BROKEN, they are simply NOT ENFORCED.

DO NOT KEEP TELLING US 20 - 30 million illegals cannot be gotten rid of.

SECURE THE BORDER...
VIGOROUSLY PROSECUTE ANYONE HIRING ILLEGALS...
CUT OFF THE PUBLIC DOLE...

Millions will self-deport. We can then deport the rest. It WOULD BE a lot cheaper then supporting them!!!

And don't tell us they are needed to "pick our fruit & veggies." Less then 2% work in the fields.

Frankly, people are getting tired of career politicians who feel they can tell the American people THEY KNOW BETTER. YOU DON'T KNOW BETTER! Unless you call knowing better, taking billions from senior citizens (medicare) and giving it to illegals in the form of benefits! Unless you call giving health care to "children" up to age 25 (MANY OF THEM ILLEGALS) knowing better.

It's time to start listening to the CITIZENS and LEGAL immigrants,
instead of pandering to racist organizations like LARAZA. It's time for OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO START REPRESENTING US INSTEAD OF THE ILLEGALS.

Great letter I may revise a bit and send it to my Senators

Just more cliches and transparent talking points from an open borders senator who has failed to secure the border. Durbin has no credibility on this issue. Note his failing grades from Numbers:

http://grades.betterimmigration.com/tes ... &VIPID=255