contacting the senator

[Fixer 0]

I knew there was a reason I go down to my representative's office personally... They are always out, of course, but the staffers get to know who I am and what I want.

As far as pedroh's responses are concerned I seem them as coming from someone with a chip on their shoulder. I am sure there is a justification to it but the vehemence behind his (her?) words causes me to lose all interest in the actual remarks.

With regards to the actual letter I hope that you run it through a spell-checker and verify the facts and make it more brief. A short letter has a greater chance of being understood than a longer one. For greater impact do what I do and actually take the time to find and go down to their office and want to speak to someone personally. Usually it is a staffer but, to be frank, they do 90% of the work anyway.

On a personal level I do not like the idea of amnesty. I mean I would MUCH prefer to have Ivona over here while we wait for her paperwork to be processed but we have to follow the law and wait for the plague of bureaucracy to run its course. I do believe that if a person has come into the US for any reason illegally they should not be allowed to remain WITH THE EXCEPTION that they have family who are legal citizens who are willing to support them through the process. If they do not have legal family in the USA, send them back where they came from with a slap on the wrist and make sure if they do it twice that they get jailed before being deported the second time.

Breaking the law is breaking the law. If you are going to do it you have no right to ###### about having to pay the consequences.

[Cassie 8]

To the OP : I understand where your heart is when it comes to this issue, but I humbly suggest that all illegal immigrants here in the US are not Mexican, nor are all people of Mexican origin here in the US illegally. Definitely write your elected representatives, but I would rewrite the letter. JMHO.

[maria_b84 0]

For what? Immigration loves them! Cme on, they are illegal for years and after they finally become legal, they get the GC in less than a month.. And us, "common" people have to wait forever. I dont know what is wrong with this Country. Immigration doesnt give a ###### about normal people. They just want money money money and money. ###### them

Maria

[Cassie 8]

For what? Immigration loves them! Cme on, they are illegal for years and after they finally become legal, they get the GC in less than a month.. And us, "common" people have to wait forever. I dont know what is wrong with this Country. Immigration doesnt give a ###### about normal people. They just want money money money and money. ###### them

Maria

No my dear, it's companies and businesses that profit from using undocumented workers that don't give a flying fart about "normal" people.

[terri o'neale 0]

Here is today's email to Boxer & Feinstein.

Dear Senator Boxer,

Thank you for your responses to mine and Emmie's previous emails and calls. I appreciate your stance on this important issue. In light of today's developments, I want to once again urge you to support legislation that would shorten the horrific separations for American families who are already struggling with an over-burdened, under-paid, under-staffed USCIS bureaucracy.

Just to update you on our journey, the separation has become so stressful that Emmie and I will be joining my husband in London for three months. This was a difficult decision for us because it means leaving my other five children in the US. But under the current law, now that we have filed the I-130 and the I-129F, my husband could be denied entry if the officer felt he presented a risk of remaining illegally. The irony of that is a painful burden when I watch illegal aliens on my television each night demanding rights that I as a US citizen do not even have for my family.

All of this is made more difficult by recent developments in our family. In the past two weeks Emmie has had two seizures. I cannot return to work because of my ill child. My husband, the breadwinner, cannot be with his family because my government will not allow him to live or work here. And now we are separated during a health crisis for our child. I cannot explain to you or anyone that has not endured this process how stressful the situation is.

And ours is only one of thousands of equally sad stories such as:

• My friend whose fiancée has never seen his son. She had been living with him in Romania. They had one miscarriage while she was there. When they discovered that she was pregnant again, they made a painful choice for her to return to the US to seek better medical care. That was over eighteen months ago. Her son will celebrate his first birthday next week and he has never seen his father.

• Or the woman today whose husband has been in an accident in Oklahoma while she waits in Japan for approval for her K3 visa. She could be denied entry as I mentioned earlier. Even with letters from his family and doctors, the US embassy in Japan has been unresponsive and uncaring of her plight.

• But even under the best of situations, this ordeal that we all endure has high long-term costs to our relationships. Just listen to what one member of the Visa Journey, on-line support system, had to say: This whole damn process is just so damn hard, put the USCIS part aside from it and as couples we do not have the chance at a normal in person dating or living together period. It's all about marriage within a short time and then all of a sudden we the beneficiaries are in a strange new world, adjusting to living with someone who in some ways on a daily basis, is a stranger.

If you are interested in hearing more of our stories, you may visit the Visa Journey, website at http://visajourney.com/forums/index.php?act=home.

As I said in light of today’s event and the announcement that this will be according to NBC News the most comprehensive rewrite of immigration laws since the so-called Simpson-Mazzoli bill some 20 years ago my hope is now for a bill that will be FAIR to those American citizens that are enduring difficult separations, pay high fees and stressing over an unresponsive bureaucracy.

If amnesty is to be granted, which I sincerely hope it will not be, then the bill must include the necessary funding to hire additional USCIS personnel to handle 12 million new applications. The Reagan administration’s amnesty in 1986 made this fatal mistake and it was a nightmare with a mere 3 million applicants. If the bill fails to include these funds for more caseworkers then the processing times for unifying American families will become even longer as we deal with an even more over-burdened USCIS.

In order to avoid this travesty of justice, I am sincerely requesting that if amnesty becomes an emanate reality you sponsor amendments that would make this a fair law for those American families that are obeying the laws of the land by:

• Including funding for additional temporary USCIS personnel strictly to handle amnesty cases rather than them being dumped in the system with other legitimate requests.

• Revisions to the current family immigration acts that would make it more humane and in keeping with other countries such as:

o A Domestic Partner Visa such as the United Kingdom and other European Union countries has. This would 1) relieve that pressure to marry quickly that my friend spoke of. Giving us the chance to be more like normal couples, dating and living together. 2) Create a just system for immigrating gay/lesbian/bisexual partners.

o Allow for our partners to remain with us and work while the case is being adjudicated, after a preliminary background check.

o Apply the same financial standards to the amnesty seekers as we apply to all other immigrants, i.e. either they must meet the 125% above poverty guideline or that standard should be abandoned for everyone.

• And for the sake of fairness, visas should immediately be issued for all approved family applicants. It would be a very Un-American injustice if we grant amnesty to 12 million law-breakers while family members of American citizens and legal aliens who have followed the law and been approved are waiting eighteen years or more for visas.

I hope you will thoughtfully consider these suggestions for amendments to create a more fair and equitable law that considers American families first. If you have any questions or need further information, I may be reached at (562) abc-1234. Thank you once again for responsiveness and support.

Sincerely,

Terri P O’Neale and

Emily Catrina O’Neale

[Ronkirk 0]

For what? Immigration loves them! Cme on, they are illegal for years and after they finally become legal, they get the GC in less than a month.. And us, "common" people have to wait forever. I dont know what is wrong with this Country. Immigration doesnt give a ###### about normal people. They just want money money money and money. ###### them

Maria

No my dear, it's companies and businesses that profit from using undocumented workers that don't give a flying fart about "normal" people.

No doubt there has to be laws, and not much is fair. I try not to be prejudice but as an employer I cant seem to find a many "normal" guys willing to put in a decent days effort. We're all just a few generations from being immigrants. As a "normal" WM, and being out of the country for a bit, the "normal" american attitude is somewhat arrogant and ignorant... and rather embarrassing... Complcated issues nonetheless

[Laura_and_IanM 0]

Fisrt of all..BRUNO IS A SENATOR..he is a senator for the 43 district of ny. SHALL I send you the link??? AND in my original email, i stated that it was geared towards the mexicans that were on the television..THEY WERE MEXICANS!!! When they are stating that they can;t go back to their home country of MEXICO...hmmm what does that mean?? I certainly know that there aren't just mexicans that are illegal in the US. But the majority of the strikers in the US recently were MEXICANS. Obviously you didn't pay attention to their own representatives that stated the MEXICANS want amnesty. I am not one to be racist or prejudice, but I do want what is right. Look at the news with the construction company that employed upto 76 illegal immagrants and YES the MAJORITY OF THEM WERE MEXICANS...those are 76 jobs that could be given to AMERICANS THAT HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO BE IN THE US...think about it that way. Anyone who wants to call me ignorant for stating my opinion then so be it. It shows your level of intelligence if you cant be open minded to anyone elses opinions other than your own and have an adult debate about it. Remember, we are all in the same boat here, trying to get our spouses over to America...THE LEGAL WAY!!! That was my whole point of emailing the senator. Btw..the person who stated that Bruno wasn't senator..heres the link..learn politics before you say that he isnt one...http://www.senatorbruno.com/contact_info.asp

[Laura_and_IanM 0]

Fisrt of all..BRUNO IS A SENATOR..he is a senator for the 43 district of ny. SHALL I send you the link??? AND in my original email, i stated that it was geared towards the mexicans that were on the television..THEY WERE MEXICANS!!! When they are stating that they can;t go back to their home country of MEXICO...hmmm what does that mean?? I certainly know that there aren't just mexicans that are illegal in the US. But the majority of the strikers in the US recently were MEXICANS. Obviously you didn't pay attention to their own representatives that stated the MEXICANS want amnesty. I am not one to be racist or prejudice, but I do want what is right. Look at the news with the construction company that employed upto 76 illegal immagrants and YES the MAJORITY OF THEM WERE MEXICANS...those are 76 jobs that could be given to AMERICANS THAT HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO BE IN THE US...think about it that way. Anyone who wants to call me ignorant for stating my opinion then so be it. It shows your level of intelligence if you cant be open minded to anyone elses opinions other than your own and have an adult debate about it. Remember, we are all in the same boat here, trying to get our spouses over to America...THE LEGAL WAY!!! That was my whole point of emailing the senator. Btw..the person who stated that Bruno wasn't senator..heres the link..learn politics before you say that he isnt one...http://www.senatorbruno.com/contact_info.asp

Right, I will be the first one to stand up here and apologise for the way I stated my original email to the Senator. Yes I do agree that there are more than just mexicans that are illegally in the US, but most of what is going on lately do involve the MEXICANS. But let us put that aside for a moment and re think my first email. I do believe that the whole point of it was missed. I was trying to encourage the Senator to please do something in regards to the process that all of us are going through if they are to consider giving amnesty to those illegal immigrants that are over in the US now. Isn't that what this site is about ??? Us folks that have married someone of another country and seeking advice and what not??? I don't know about you, but to me it is a slap in the face from the government that we have married foreigners. They want us to prove we have valid relationships, but yet we can't live together properly as a married couple. Now it is a bigger slap in the face now that the government is considering giving amnesty to those illegals. Why should they get it when there are decent people on this site that are doing it the legal way, yet run into more red tape then the illegals???? As far as someone stating that there arent any hard workers in America, please don't say things like that. I for one am a very hard worker, I may be a girl but I would take a construction job anyday.

I apologise whole heartedly about not being more open in my email. I shouldn't have geared it towards just the Mexicans. IF you watch the news, it seems as though they do focus more on them because Mexico is right there. So I am sorry. Honestly.

[desert_fox 32]

Fisrt of all..BRUNO IS A SENATOR..he is a senator for the 43 district of ny. SHALL I send you the link??? AND in my original email, i stated that it was geared towards the mexicans that were on the television..THEY WERE MEXICANS!!! When they are stating that they can;t go back to their home country of MEXICO...hmmm what does that mean?? I certainly know that there aren't just mexicans that are illegal in the US. But the majority of the strikers in the US recently were MEXICANS. Obviously you didn't pay attention to their own representatives that stated the MEXICANS want amnesty. I am not one to be racist or prejudice, but I do want what is right. Look at the news with the construction company that employed upto 76 illegal immagrants and YES the MAJORITY OF THEM WERE MEXICANS...those are 76 jobs that could be given to AMERICANS THAT HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO BE IN THE US...think about it that way. Anyone who wants to call me ignorant for stating my opinion then so be it. It shows your level of intelligence if you cant be open minded to anyone elses opinions other than your own and have an adult debate about it. Remember, we are all in the same boat here, trying to get our spouses over to America...THE LEGAL WAY!!! That was my whole point of emailing the senator. Btw..the person who stated that Bruno wasn't senator..heres the link..learn politics before you say that he isnt one...http://www.senatorbruno.com/contact_info.asp

He is a State Senator that represents a district in NY State at the state legislature in Albany. He would have nothing to do with US Immigration law as this is a Federal issue. The US Senators from NY State would be Hillary Clinton, and Chuck whatshisname. Redirect your letter to Hillary or Chuckie.

[saruno1958 0]

Hey,

It is obvious that this is a very emotional subject. I feel for both positions. Yet I am for those individuals who come to this country and LEGALLY gain entry. We fix too much on where people from. Most of them come here thinking they can get here and wait every 20 years for an amnesty. We should not be looking at the illegals but at those who are hiring also. If we punish those companies. It will find it very difficult to get work. If anyone who has ever been a human resource person will tell you. If you actually verify the person's ID and SS#, as the law is very lax on this issue. Then it would be tough for anyone. No matter where they come from. I am for legal immigration and support this. This is what America has always been about. A guest worker program would work and maybe provide more wages to those who work in jobs that many say American will not do. I really think that all the protests did is wake up the silent majority who are against the law breakers. This could very well back fire.

Scott

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

otra vez.. *sigh*

how shall i say this??? to the op, you are letting your frustation wit h the immigration process get the better of you. you are now terribly upset and redirecting your anger towards mexicans.

i've said this before and i'll say it again. i went through the process just like all of us on this board, so i know what you are feeling. as heavy of burden that we take, i would NEVER EVER swap that for the process the illegals are going through. i kiss the the ground of this nation and thank my God for the opportunity I have to bring my loved one to this country. i would not want to have to make the choice to come here illegally. i will not go into details about their lives, but suffice it to say, it isn't an easy one.

so, please, keep your head level and focus on your primary goal: that is, getting your love one here. if you still feel the need to change the immigration process, or simply dealing with the 'illegal situation, then by all means get involved with your representatives. and you will get a lot farther along if you could voice your concern in a way that was not so "racist' sounding.

ok, good luck to you and your so.

Daniel

:energetic:

[pedroh 21]

na.. i dont think they want their process to be approved fast... they want illegals not to be approved..

saludos ana y daniel.. tenia tiempo que no los veia!

*ayyy speak english we're in America!!!!!!!!!*

PWNED

[almaty 19]

na.. i dont think they want their process to be approved fast... they want illegals not to be approved..

saludos ana y daniel.. tenia tiempo que no los veia!

*ayyy speak english we're in America!!!!!!!!!*

PWNED

Que ? putas/putos no hablo espanol on vj?

[Laura_and_IanM 0]

It isn't a matter of not wanting the illegals to get approved, it is more of wanting them to do it the legal way like the rest of us. That is the whole point. I have already apologized for making my original post seem like it was racist. But if you do read it, it was't bashing anyone for their race, it was bashing them for the WAY they were coming into the counrty and now asking for amnesty. Dont sit there and speak for your people saying that you are honest...How can you say you are honest when you are doing something illegal. Yes whoever said that we don't know what it is like for them, you are right..we don't. But that still doesn't excuse coming into the country illegally. This is a very emotional subject yes. Instead of saying that I am racist, when you have no idea of who I am as a person, why don't you just say hey, I don't believe what you wrote to be correct, or do you think you can reword it so it doesn't offend me?? Instead some of you are attacking me saying I am racist and ignorant. I can turn around and say that you too are ignorant for not talking to me in a civilized manner and for calling me names. We are here to educate. We are all here for the same reason.

Someone tried telling me that I wrote to a congressman and not a senator, then when I proved him wrong, he then instead of apologised, attacked me for writing to a state senator. You may think it does matter which senator you write to, but no it doesn't matter. All that matters is that yes I am starting somewhere, and senator Bruno emailed me to say that yes he can and will help. I have also contacted by email my local congressman, and he wants me to call him with my reciept number from my NOA1 from either the I-130, or the I-129f whichever I prefer and he will personally get it expidited or at least try and get it to move quicker. I have also emailed him in response to that saying that I would like to know how we can move not just mine along, but everyone elses. Yes, I am contacting anyone and everyone who will listen and will help. It isn't just for the "Big Guys" at top. I am doing something about it.

Again, I will apologise for my first email. Either you take it or leave it. For those of you who do see my point instead of automatically seeing that I said Mexicans, I thank you for your kind words and for pm'ing me and telling me kindly to just change my wording. Those are the people that I respect the most.

Sincerely,

Laura Mitchell

Edited May 14, 2006 by ljwinquist

[Fandango 1,439]

otra vez.. *sigh*

how shall i say this??? to the op, you are letting your frustation wit h the immigration process get the better of you. you are now terribly upset and redirecting your anger towards mexicans.

Daniel

:energetic:

I agree with that completely...

HOWEVER:

We don't know what it's like for a mother who is a prostitute to feed her kids...yet she'll still be thrown in jail if she's caught.

We dont' know what it's like to someone poor enough to shoplift, yet they'd go to jail too.

No one knows what it's like to be me and Dave, yet I don't see rules being changed to accomodate us.

Let's look at this from a legal/illegal perspective and stop clouding up the waters.

Edited May 14, 2006 by LisaD