Response to ACLU’s Immigration Reform Letter

LETTER FROM THE ACLU ABOUT IMMIGRATION REFORM (My response follows.)

Jay-

Big news today.

This afternoon, President Obama is meeting with Members of Congress at the White House to talk immigration. Just yesterday, Senate leaders said that they are ready and able to move real immigration reform forward. This is great news, and it’s about time!

For the extreme, anti-immigrant groups that have blocked reform for years, however, any talk of real solutions must be shut down. These groups are riled up and angry. On their websites they claim to have already sent 693,437 faxes to Washington this month opposing reform.

At a time when Minutemen track human beings in the desert like animals, Latinos are pulled over for “looking illegal,” Sheriffs march chain gangs of immigrants through the streets of Phoenix with a smile, and unscrupulous employers openly exploit “under the table” workers and don’t pay their fair share of taxes, real reform is more crucial than ever. Comprehensive immigration reform ensures that everyone in America has the same rights and responsibilities and that no one has second-class status. If we want it, we have to speak up and drown out the anti-immigrant lobby that opposes solutions!

If we want it, Washington needs to hear from us right now.

Tell the President and our leaders in Congress to stand up to the noisy anti-immigrant lobby and show us a real Road Map to Reform:

http://www.AmericasVoiceOnline.org/RoadMap

It’s no surprise that, in the face of progress, extreme, anti-immigrant groups are doing what they do best: sending angry faxes, lashing out at immigrants, and trying to intimidate Congress into doing nothing. Their only “solution,” after all, is to forcibly round up and deport the 12 million immigrants who are living and working in this country without legal status. Sound good?

Meanwhile, public support for reform is at an all-time high. A nationwide poll conducted last month revealed that an astounding 86 percent of voters support comprehensive immigration reform when they hear the details. A clear majority, 64 percent, support it even before hearing the specifics. Activists like you made 20,000 phone calls to the White House supporting immigration reform last week alone. You helped send over 200,000 faxes last month.

Thank you — but we can’t stop here.

Ask President Obama and Congressional Leadership to show us the Road Map to Real Immigration Reform:

http://www.AmericasVoiceOnline.org/RoadMap

The good news is that the tide is turning in Washington — but we can’t let these extreme voices turn it back. Today is a big day.

Thanks for everything you’re doing, and for forwarding this message widely.

Sincerely,

Adam Luna
America’s Voice

MY RESPONSE TO THIS LETTER

Adam,

I believe that the best immigration reform available was President Bush’s Guest Worker Program, which died due to Democrats putting politics before compassion. It was a fair program that did not force Americans to supply health care to citizens of another country who do not pay into our system. As a result of this program being unapproved by the Democrats, we now struggle with dealing with illegal immigrants. The key word here is illegal. If I am in “illegal status” as an American, I am arrested and put into jail. Why do we allow ANYONE with illegal status to get better benefits than hard working Americans?
It is time for the ACLU (to whom I donate) to remember that Mexican illegal immigrants are citizens of the nation of Mexico. It is up to Mexico to provide for them, and if Mexico cannot, then those Mexican citizens MUST APPLY FOR VISAS TO WORK IN THE US LEGALLY, just as my great grandparents did. They learned English, moved to the US, went through our immigration system, and did it all legally.
Do we somehow believe that the Mexicans are too stupid to figure it out, or is it easier for liberals to coddle everyone because doing things the right way is too hard?
The only fair way to help the illegals is to bring back the Bush Administration Guest Worker Program. It is fair to them, and it is the only fair way to treat our own hard working citizens. Some of these “fringe” groups you refer to are not “fringe” or “extremist” at all. You are using rhetoric to inflame your constituents. Give it a rest. Many of these groups represent AMERICAN CITIZENS (many of whom are Hispanic) living in the border states and being impacted by the waves of illegal immigration. I for one oppose Nancy Pelosi and her plan to pay for illegal immigrant’s health care by taxing my 401K. I’m glad that Nancy can afford that, but the rest of us out here in American cannot and WILL NOT! I for one am FOR IMMIGRATION AND IMMIGRANTS – as long as they do it legally. You seem to leave that out of your email – most Americans are not “anti-immigration”. We are ANTI ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION! Why the propaganda and dishonesty? Is it because most liberals have immediate visceral responses to rhetoric and you are using that to your advantage to avoid the truth?
Stop using racism, rhetoric, and political Obama love fests to get out messages that are clearly not Constitutional. The US Constitution serves AMERICAN CITIZENS, not the whole world. Don’t forget that inconvenient truth.

Jay Burkos – ACLU Member at Odds