Dear Mr. Tyson ,

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about the need to reform our current immigration system . I value your opinion and would like to share my thoughts about this important matter.

We must stem the flood of illegal aliens into our country and take control of our borders. You will be pleased to know that I voted for, and Congress passed, the Secure Fence Act and its funding last fall. This bill authorizes 850 miles of physical fencing along the border with Mexico and $1.2 billion for its construction. The bill also strengthens operational control of all borders and ports through additional physical barriers, fencing, and greater use of state-of-the-art technology and surveillance. Only when we have true border control will comprehensive reform be realistic.

As for people who are already in the United States illegally, I do not support any form of amnesty and will continue to vote against it. We cannot reward illegal behavior with a path to citizenship, voting rights, or Social Security benefits. Rest assured that I will continue to be a vocal supporter of reserving Social Security only for American citizens who have legally paid into the system.

I believe America is a land of hope and opportunity. But, the price of participation is to obey the law and enter our country through legal channels. I will continue voting to maintain the rule of law, ensure the safety of our homeland, and uphold the sanctity of American citizenship.

Thank you again for sharing your views with me. Please feel free to contact me in the future about anything important to you or your family . It is an honor to serve you and the people of the State of South Carolina.

Sincerely,

Jim DeMint
United States Senator

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 29th, 2007 at 12:25 pm and is filed under Politics-Immigration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.