Letter to Senator Mary Landrieu
Dear Senator Landrieu:
As you are well aware, the Senate is considering fixing our broken borders and bringing back order to our dysfunctional immigration system. It is hard to think of a more pressing issue facing our countrymassive illegal immigration affects our national and economic security, and it goes to the heart of who we are as Americans.
A bipartisan coalition in the House of Representatives - including Louisiana's Charlie Melancon - passed a get-tough border security bill a few months ago. Among other things, the bill calls for the construction of a security fence along our southern border, requires federal and local law enforcement to cooperate on immigration matters, and mandates that employers use an instant check system to verify their employees' legal status. It offers no amnesty and no new foreign worker plan.
One of the Senate's leading proposals, the Hagel-Martinez bill, takes a much different approach from the House. It offers nearly universal amnesty to the 12 million or more illegal aliens living in the U.S., doubles legal immigration overnight, and offers miniscule border security. Hagel-Martinez is dead on arrival in the House and, if it passes the Senate, would mean that no border security measure would get to the President's desk this year. A competing plan proposed by Senator Frist - while in need of significant improvement - does not offer amnesty, and might provide a way forward.
Senator Landrieu, you have a good record of securing our borders and going after rogue employers, although you have supported several large-scale amnesties. Several weeks ago, you joined with many of your Democrat colleagues to block an up-or-down vote on Frist's enforcement bill. Louisianans know that rewarding law breakers only encourages more law breaking. They know that it makes more sense to go after employers who hire illegal aliens than to reward rogue employers with yet another foreign worker plan.
You are one of the swing Senators who could tip the balance towards either enforcement-first or amnesty. I ask that you make the following pledge to the people of Louisiana: You will only support an enforcement bill that secures our borders and enforces the law. You will not support a bill that includes amnesty for illegal aliens or a new foreign worker plan.
I have dedicated much of my career to securing America's borders and stopping the massive flow of illegal aliens. I look forward to hearing whether you will join me in standing up for America's security and our workers.
Respectfully,
Tom Tancredo
Chairman
Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus
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