I am very disappointed that Sens. Lindsey Graham and Chuck Schumer are pushing for a mass amnesty.

With more than 15 million Americans out of work and a further 10 million Americans underemployed, the last thing these American workers need is competition from 12-18 million amnestied illegal aliens.

For the sake of these unemployed and underemployed Americans (and those who may yet lose their jobs), please oppose any amnesty proposed in the U.S. Senate.

The Obama Administration claims that it is serious about enforcing immigration laws. But that could not be further from the truth. One example, cited by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), is that between FY 2008 and FY 2009 administrative arrests of illegal aliens declined 68 percent and criminal arrests declined 60 percent.

If we truly want effective immigration law enforcement, a good place to start is the SAVE Act (H.R. 3308). Introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC), the measure now has 102 co-sponsors.  It offers a three-fold strategy to deal with illegal immigration: better border control, better internal enforcement, and improved steps to prevent employment of illegals.

• To control the border, the bill would add 6,000 new Border Patrol agents and develop improved surveillance of the border with aircraft and satellite monitoring.
• To enhance internal enforcement it would increase the number of ICE agents, provide grants to local police agencies, and streamline deportation procedures.
• To help prevent hiring of illegals, it would make the E-Verify system mandatory for all employers.  Note:  E-Verify, which allows employers to check the legal status of new hires with federal data bases, is now voluntary.

Further, to protect American jobs, the bill would require greater cooperation among federal agencies keeping data.

Current sponsors of the Senate bill:

• Alabama: Sessions
• Arkansas: Pryor
• Louisiana: Landrieu, Vitter
• North Carolina: Burr
• Tennessee: Alexander

Note: As elected officials, we expect you to uphold your solemn duty to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, as so elected and sworn.  We will not allow lawmakers and this Administration to reshape these beloved United States into a European, socialist state, violating the sovereign rights of citizens.

Please be advised...

We will neither forgive, nor forget. I urge you and your colleagues to listen carefully to the voice of middle-class Americans who are demanding you REJECT this mad dash toward socialism and flagrant violations of the rights of lawful citizens under the Constitution.  We are willing to operate on the basis of faith over experience for a while, but we are not fools.  We wish for a peaceful return to Organic Constitutional Principles.

As elected officials, and by powers delegated to you, your immediate attention is hereby requested to ensure that the rights and freedoms of your constituency, the sovereign citizens of this Constitutional Republic, are respected and maintained.