June 27, 2014
Dear Friends,
One year ago today, over two-thirds of my Senate colleagues voted to pass S. 744, Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill that would modernize our immigration system, strengthen our borders and ports of entry, enhance our national security in a manner that is practical, humane and fair —and grow our economy by almost one trillion dollars.
In Delaware, we just celebrated the 376th anniversary of the arrival of the first Swedes and Finns on the shores of the Christina River. These immigrants came to our country many years ago to live what we now call the “American Dream” – the remarkable idea that, regardless of your background or station in life, you can come to this country, work hard, and build a better life for you and your family.
Today, we still see millions of immigrants, from all parts of the world, coming to America to achieve the American Dream. The promise of the American Dream is such a strong draw that some immigrants are even willing to risk life and limb to achieve that dream in an unlawful way. We need only to look at the recent crisis at our Southern Border where thousands of families and young children, mainly from Central America, are willing to make a treacherous journey of thousands of miles to reunite with their families and try to live a better life. This is not a problem we can ignore – it is a crisis that can only be solved through action that addresses the root causes of this complex problem.
The Senate’s bill, although not perfect, is a significant improvement over the status quo and provides our nation with the policies and resources needed to address the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the shadows.
That is why now, more than ever, it is time for my colleagues in the House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and take up comprehensive immigration reform. Fixing a broken system is far too important to allow partisanship to get in the way.
I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to act.
Sincerely,
|
