Received an e-mail from Senator Dick Durbin (D. IL) who is working with Senators Chuck Schumer (D. NY), Bob Menendez (D. NJ) and Michael Bennet (D. CO) to help get a comprehensive immigration reform plan passed through congress. He is gathering signatures for people to put the pressure on congress to pass a comprehensive plan:
Passing immigration reform won't be easy, but we have our best chance in years right now -- we have to seize it.
For Latinos and other immigrants, this is the civil rights issue of our time. And for all of us, as President Obama said in his second inaugural address, our journey is not complete as a nation until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who see America as a land of opportunity.
This week, we were proud to join several of our Senate colleagues in introducing a comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform framework.
Now is the time for these commonsense, comprehensive reforms -- but many will seek to stand in the way.
We need to show potential opponents that this framework has broad public support. Sign our petition for comprehensive immigration reform at www.ComprehensiveReform.com today.
http://www.comprehensivereform.com/...
For the first time in many years, Republicans and Democrats seem ready to tackle this problem together. But remember, this is not just a debate about policy -- it's about people.
That means that any reform must be comprehensive:
It must include the principles of the DREAM Act, so that children brought here illegally through no fault of their own will be eligible for earned citizenship by going to college or serving honorably in the Armed Forces for at least two years.
It must provide a path to citizenship for those who are already here without papers, to bring them out of the shadows and give them a chance to play by the same rules as the rest of us.
It must protect American workers and ensure our immigration system is aligned with the needs of our changing economy.
And although we are a nation of immigrants, reform must recognize that we are a nation of laws as well. We will work to continue strengthening border security.
There's much more to these reforms, but none of it will make a difference to those who are staunchly opposed to any change. We need to show overwhelming public support on our side in order for reform to pass.
Sign our petition at www.ComprehensiveReform.com to show your support for comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate today.
http://www.comprehensivereform.com/...
What makes somebody an American isn't just blood or birth, but allegiance to our founding principles. Passing a comprehensive reform package will preserve those principles and set America on the path to greatness for decades to come.
Thanks for your support,
Dick Durbin
Senator, IL
Chuck Schumer
Senator, NY
Bob Menendez
Senator, NJ
Michael Bennet
Senator, CO
P.S. Comprehensive immigration reform must also include a mechanism to reunite families and establish enforceable rules for workplace fairness. -- Dick