July 12, 2012

Dear Terask,

Thank you for contacting me to share your views regarding our nation's illegal immigration problem. It is a privilege to serve as your Representative in Congress. I welcome your thoughts on this important issue.

It is clear that our immigration system is fundamentally broken and is in dire need of reform. Recent government estimates indicate that over 12 million illegal immigrants are living in the United States. While I can understand the motivations of foreign nationals who desire to live and work in our country for the abundant opportunities it affords, we must remain a nation of laws that provides opportunities for its own citizens first. Any reforms considered must be consistent with our laws, our interests and our commitment to both American workers and those who wish to become part of our country legally. Moreover, I have always believed that we could make great strides towards improving our immigration problems if the federal government simply enforces the laws that are already on the books. Washington needs to get out of the way of state governments, like Arizona and Florida, which wish to implement aggressive immigration laws to fill in enforcement gaps where the federal government has refused to act.

Regrettably, the Obama Administration has failed to enforce our existing immigration laws. Given the increasing violence along the Southwest border, I believe the United States must send a consistent message that our country takes our immigration laws seriously and those illegally entering the country will be punished accordingly. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) possesses the ability to grant "deferred action," which is a process that opens the door to authorize those who have entered illegally the ability to legally work in the country. As you know, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton released an official memorandum detailing to agency officials how they may grant deferred action when exercising prosecutorial discretion, the power to decide which cases to pursue. It is my understanding that a separate memorandum was issued that expressed the intention of the Administration to provide deferred action for those who would be eligible for legal status under the DREAM Act, pending legislation that would create a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who attend college or enlist in the military.

As you may know, Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas has introduced H.R. 2497, the "Hinder the Administration's Legalization Temptation (HALT) Act." This legislation would prevent the Administration from issuing deferred action orders, except in very rare instances. H.R. 2497 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee where it awaits further consideration.

Amnesty, immediate or long-term, actual or de facto, is not an option. I firmly believe that "amnesty" only rewards criminals with the object of their crime – in this case, legal residence in the United States. This must never be the policy of the United States, real or unintended. However well-intentioned, it was an unwise and unworkable policy that I do not support or accept in any form.

With that said, we should never forget we are a nation of immigrants. We will always welcome legal immigrants to the United States. I believe it is vital to assimilate legal immigrants into our society, and teaching them English and sharing our American values is imperative to that process. Anyone who swears the oath of citizenship should share the ideals and civic responsibility that make our country and its people one. Toward this end, I support public libraries and faith-based and community groups that offer English language and civics instruction to immigrants who are seeking to make America their home. I also have joined Congressman Steve King from Iowa and many of my colleagues—Democrat and Republican alike—as a cosponsor of H.R. 997, the "English Language Unity Act of 2011," legislation to make English the official language. I will continue to support this measure among others that strengthen our immigration standards and uphold the values of our Country.

I look forward to continuing to serve you in the 112th Congress and hearing from you again soon. If my staff or I can do anything to assist you, please do not hesitate to contact my office. You can also visit my website at http://www.fleming.house.gov for further information or follow me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/repjohnfleming or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/repfleming.

Sincerely,

JOHN FLEMING, M.D.
U.S. Representative

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Dear Friend,

Louisiana is still suffering from the job-crushing moratorium put in place after the BP oil spill. The Obama administration shut down the entire offshore oil and gas industry and thousands of jobs were lost because of it. Many Louisianians, including myself, pleaded for answers to why this happened, but we could never get a clear one.

Now we’re seeing extremely alarming evidence showing that Obama administration officials may have tampered with the facts that led to their decision to put the moratorium in place. And further, administration officials may have been hiding information from our Congressional oversight and investigation efforts.

Immediately following the moratorium, I asked the Department of Interior’s Office of the Inspector General to investigate the oil spill report that led to the moratorium and a possible mistake in reporting the facts. At the time, Interior’s IG provided a summary back to me saying any mistakes were inadvertent, but new evidence shows there was likely collaboration between Department of Interior officials and their Inspector General.

It’s pretty outrageous and offensive to know that politics seems to be influencing the office of the Inspector General in addition to potentially manipulating the science. I’m demanding answers because Inspector General offices at federal agencies are supposed to be completely independent and have zero political influence.

In May, Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), whose states were also negatively impacted by the moratorium, joined me in demanding those answers. The good news is that the appropriate oversight authorities are going to investigate (Click here to read more about the investigation of the Interior Department and their office of the Inspector General).

I’ll make sure to keep you posted as we work to get to the bottom of Obama’s job-killing moratorium.

Sincerely,

David Vitter
United States Senator

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Comments: 0

Comments: 0