Letter to Congresswoman on Immigration

Dear Congresswoman Wasserman,

Thank you for replying to my letter. 

I am a disappointed with your response (below in italics) because you do not address any of the points that I made in my original letter, and your position is the same as President Bush's with the exception that it lacks any specifics on the guest worker program.

I support a comprehensive solution, including a guest worker program, that both relieves pressure on our borders and also resolves the status of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in our country.

For that reason, we must not only gain control of our borders, but we must also provide millions of illegal immigrants already living here an incentive to come out of the shadows and to be counted and identified. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to enact comprehensive immigration reforms.

I hope that we can all agree that if you support a guest worker visa for 2 years that costs $2500 and to renew requires to leave the country for 6 months, nobody will "come out of the shadows".  Most undocumented workers are from lower socio-economic classes.  Do you think that anyone can afford to leave with their whole family for 6 months with no income, maintain two places of living, and risk the chance of not being able to come back? It is completely absurd and ill-intentioned.

This year you still have an unique opportunity with a Democratic Congress and a President willing to provide legal status to illegals, to make real lasting reform.  Unfortunately, with 9 months left, prior to the election season, I predict that nothing will get done and there will be no difference between the Republican and the Democratic Congress -- despite all the promises made to Hispanics by the latter.

I hope you read this e-mail and provide leadership action in this matter.  It is ironic that Republican Congress people in South Florida such as Messrs. Diaz-Baralt and Mrs. Ros-Letinen are the ones providing some leadership instead of the Democrats.

Best Regards,

Carlos Erban

 

From: <Fl20@housemail.house.gov>
To: <carlos.erban@hotmail.com>
Subject: A Message from Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:17:38 -0400

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

April 10, 2007

 
 

 

Mr. Carlos Erban

19333 Collins Avenue

Apt. 1603

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL 33160-2371

 

 
 

Dear Mr. Erban,

 
 

Thank you for contacting me regarding immigration reform.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

 
 

The United States is a nation founded by immigrants.  Accepting other cultures into our society helps create the beautiful "melting pot" that has become the very essence of our nation. I am a strong supporter of legal immigration.

 
 

Our current immigration system is failing, and I believe our country must mend its broken borders. Additionally, the very real threat of terrorists crossing our borders means we must develop a policy that puts the security of the American people first. For that reason, I support a comprehensive solution, including a guest worker program, that both relieves pressure on our borders and also resolves the status of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in our country.

 
 

Any proposal to remedy our current immigration system must be comprehensive and not focus on "enforcement only" mechanisms. Rather than throwing billions of dollars away on a fence that would not solve the problem, I instead support alternative proposals that would increase funding for detention facilities, border patrol agents, and port-of-entry inspectors. I believe we should end the Bush Administration's "catch-and-release" program by providing our border patrol agents with more resources to help hold and detain illegal immigrants. Until Congress gets serious about authorizing the technology, personnel, and equipment needed to monitor and secure every mile of the border, a partial fence will not begin to solve the problem.

 
 

Additionally, I do not believe that state and local law enforcement resources should be used to fund a federal responsibility. Congress should not "pass the buck" to already overstretched police departments. If it did, new immigration enforcement responsibilities would distract local officers from their primary responsibilities of solving violent crimes and ensuring the safety of their communities. Our broken borders are a federal problem. We need a federal solution.

 
 

Please know that, as your Representative, I am committed to passing meaningful immigration reform that fixes our broken borders and protects America's citizens and legal immigrants. For the security of our nation, it is imperative that we know exactly who is in our country. For that reason, we must not only gain control of our borders, but we must also provide millions of illegal immigrants already living here an incentive to come out of the shadows and to be counted and identified. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to enact comprehensive immigration reforms.

 
 

Please know I will keep your concerns in mind and continue to keep you updated on this and other pressing issues of the 110^th Congress.  Thank you for contacting my office, and please do not hesitate to do so again regarding this or any other matter.  I also invite you to visit my Web site at <a href="http://www.house.gov/schultz">www.house.gov/schultz</a> for additional information and legislative issue updates.

 
 

Sincerely,

 

 
 

 
 

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Member of Congress

 
 

 
 

DWS\sr

 
 

 

 
 

------------------------------------------

I was born in Venezuela, and recently became a U.S. Citizen, one of the proudest and most emotional moments in my life. I am a proud American. I am registered as an Independent, and the number 1 issue for me is Immigration Reform. My view is that most undocumented aliens are productive people to the U.S. society and economy -- a view shared by most Nobel Prized Economists in the U.S. I was fortunate to graduate from Harvard Business School, and I was heavily recruited. Most people with my background automatically get a working visa and soon after a path to residency and citizenship. Most companies even pay the very high immigration attorney's fees, which in my case was about $20,000. However, poor blue collard workers are not afforded the same opportunity, and cannot afford top attoneys. You could argue that blue collar labor, especially performed by undocumented immigrants, is precisely the work that most Americans don't want to perform. They should be given the same opportunity, a working visa, and as long they demonstrate they are working, paying taxes, and with no criminal record qualify for Green Card and eventually for Citizenship. I also hope that join Congress people Baralt, Ross-Letinen in providing DED status to my fellow Venezuelans.

 

Regards,

 

Carlos Erban