If you care about the problem of illegal aliens in America, here is something you can do. I sent the letter below to my two Senators and encourage you to do the same. There is a LINK on my tacwash blog that will give you your Senator’s contact info. I recommend that you bookmark a folder in your favorites called Political Contacts and save the contact pages there for future use. You can change the names and address in the letter below to YOUR info.

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To: Senator Maria Cantwell

Larry Killion
**** S. G. St.
Tacoma, WA. 98444

RE: Stand with Arizona and the American people – No pro-illegal alien legislation!

Dear Senator :

In an apparent attempt to circumvent the expected Supreme Court ruling upholding Arizona’s tough immigration enforcement law, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) – Chairman of a Senate subcommittee on immigration – has announced his intention to undercut the Court and strip States of their sovereignty – forcing the Obama Administration’s Pro-illegal alien, no enforcement policy down the American people’s throats whether the Supreme Court likes it or not.

Schumer openly stated that his legislation will FORBID states from enforcing immigration laws. As a patriotic American concerned about the future of our great country, I cannot allow this to stand. I compel you to stand with Arizona – stand with America – and reject any attempt to give illegal aliens special status and any attempt to strip states of their sovereignty.

Reject Senator Schumer’s legislation and any other proposal that turns a blind eye to our nation’s illegal immigration problem.

Sincerely,

Larry J. Killion

http://thelordsbaptis...

My Blog: http://tacwash.blogsp...

My Books: http://bookstore.xlib...

http://bookstore.xlib...

If you wrote a letter similar to the one above to Senator Cantwell, you will probably get this same response. At least she responded but I think she missed the point and totally ignored the Shumer issue and the attack on Arizona and States rights. .
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Dear Mr. Killion,

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

I believe that Congress should continue working to deliver comprehensive immigration reform. Major religious denominations, law enforcement leaders, the labor movement, business owners, civil rights leaders, economists and a majority of Americans agree that our current immigration system is broken. Immigration reform is vital to getting our economy moving again and is crucial to farms and businesses across Washington State and the country.

Comprehensive immigration reform should prioritize our nation’s security by bringing undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and requiring them to register with the government, undergo background checks, study English and pay taxes. Any policy changes must improve border enforcement and address the labor shortages in the fields of agriculture and technology. Employers must abide by fair labor standards and respect the rule of law in the workplace, and all workers should be paying their fair share of taxes.

I also believe that protecting our nation’s borders and ports should be one of our highest priorities . The 111 th Congress increased U.S. Border patrol funding by $400 million over a two-year period, and in the last decade, the budget of the Border Patrol has more than tripled. Most recently, Congress supported these activities with the passage of an emergency supplemental border security appropriations package in August 2010. This packages increased resources for border personnel and surveillance equipment.

On September June 22, 2011 Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011 (S. 1258). This legislation increases resources for border patrol personnel, border technology improvements, and expands the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program to cover additional criminal justice costs sustained by local governments. The legislation also mandates the use of an employment verification system for all employers within five years and creates a new fraud-resistant Social Security card.

With respect to immigration, this legislation addresses the processing delays for green card applications and allows graduates of the science, math, and engineering fields to apply for permanent residency immediately. It also incorporates existing legislation such as the DREAM Act (S. 592), the Uniting American Families Act (S. 821), and the AgJOBS proposal for seasonal agriculture workers. Lastly, it would provide a path to legalization for non-criminal undocumented immigrants living in the United States since June 1, 2011. S. 1258 is currently pending in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

On June 14, 2011, Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) introduced the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 2164), which would require all U.S. employers to participate in E-Verify. This legislation was referred to three U.S. House Committees (Judiciary, Education and Workforce, and Ways and Means), where it is currently awaiting further review.

E-Verify is an internet-based pilot program operated by the United States Customs and Immigration Service and the Social Security Administration. This program allows employers to determine whether their employees possess proper authorization for lawful employment. As of January 22, 2011, over 244,000 employers nationwide were registered as participants of this voluntary program.

Under current law, it is illegal for an employer to knowingly hire an undocumented employee. By improving employment verification and enforcement techniques and opportunities, E-Verify was established to provide a simpler and more streamlined way to ensure a legally documented workforce. The 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act extended voluntary E-Verify through September 30, 2012.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Please be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind if I have the opportunity to consider E-Verify or immigration reform legislation in the U.S. Senate. You may be interested in signing up for my periodic update for Washington State residents. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senat... . Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator