Response to imigration letter

Congressman Sam Farr

[Technoman]

Dear (Technogeek):

Thank you for writing me about immigration. I understand that this is an issue that evokes very strong reactions.

Even before the protests over the last several weeks, the need for comprehensive immigration reform was unmistakable. Over 12 million undocumented immigrants reportedly live in the U.S. Most are here for a better life; they pay taxes and they perform low-paid, unskilled jobs few Americans desire or seek. By forcing these hardworking individuals to remain in the shadows, we risk creating an environment where a minority criminal element can operate unchecked. This situation only threatens our national security and complicates the vital job of those charged with protecting our homeland.

Since his first years in office, President Bush made the implementation of a guestworker program a priority for his Presidency. Unfortunately after 9/11, his immigration reform agenda was pushed to the side. Finally, in the last several months, the Republican Leadership has brought the issue to the forefront of national policy making.

Last December, the House Republican Leadership brought a truly egregious bill to the Floor for a vote. HR 4437 was completely unrealistic in its "enforcement only" proposals. It would make not only anyone in the country illegally a felon, but it also criminalizes humanitarian aid and religious workers as well. It proposed a wall reminiscent of the infamous Berlin Wall along our border with Mexico and did nothing to address the real issue facing the country today - what to do with the 12 million undocumented people that are currently living in this country? I could not support the bill because of its complete disregard of the complex dynamics of our immigration situation.

The Senate Republican Leadership also agreed to address immigration reform this Congress. At the end of March, the Senate Judiciary Committee, under substantial pressure from Presidential - hopeful Majority Leader Bill Frist, reported out a bill that included a guestworker program for the agriculture industry and provided a path to citizenship for the current illegal aliens abiding in the country. As Senators began debating the bill , negotiations regarding how many and which amendments would be offered fell apart. This is an important point because amendments could completely change the character of the underlying bill. Though Senators have publicly committed to continue negotiations, it remains highly unlikely that a bill addressing comprehensive immigration reform will pass in this Congress.

Despite this impasse, the fact remains that 12 million undocumented immigrants continue to reside in the United States and this issue will not go away. I strongly believe that next year, in a year without an election, cooler heads could prevail and comprehensive legislation may be possible.

In the mean time, I will continue to support bills that promote family reunification, asylum and refugee admissions, employment-based immigration, and a path to legalization while striking the balance between American jobs, border safety and national security interests.

Please do not hesitate to contact me as this debate will surely continue.

Sincerely, SAM FARR Member of Congress

[ApplegateRanch]

"chicken shopping" = "chicken chopping"

BTW, since Congresscritter is, as above, "unskilled work few Americans want or seek":

I wonder what SAM FARR Member of Congress would think, if his constituents attempted to replace him with an "undocumented worker", who would be willing to take the job for 50% lower pay, and no benefits?

[Technoman]

What's worse is the Social Seccurity and IRS refuse to turn over records to help the investigation. "The two agencies don’t analyze their data to root out likely immigration fraud — and they won’t share their millions of records so that law enforcement agencies can do that, either", according to the article.

[radar101]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1619953/posts

In my work, I investigate Worker's Comp Claims. In about 50 cases in the last two years, the SSN came up as "Not on File" (does not exist) or had three names on the same number. These were reported to the Fraud Dept. of SSN. Number of requests for further information= ZERO!