June 27 , 2007

Fellow South Carolinians --

Thank you for contacting me about immigration reform. Debate begins again this week in the Senate and I wanted you to have the facts about the bill. 

We both know this is a complex subject and the legislation makes many important and long-overdue changes in our nation's immigration policies. Below I have summarized the key provisions of the bill so that you will have all the facts. 

As my constituent your opinions and thoughts are very important to me. I have listened to your constructive input -- and as you will see below -- much of that input has been considered and adopted.

Thank you again for your interest in immigration reform. If you wish to respond or have additional thoughts on this subject please use my website http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=contactform . I regret this email account is unable to accept incoming messages.

The Immigration Reform Legislation Makes $4.4 Billion for Border Security Available Immediately

Under a provision I authored with Senator Jon Kyl (R-Arizona), the legislation immediately makes available $4.4 billion in mandatory spending to secure our nation's borders. Funds will be spent on miles of new fencing, miles of new vehicle barriers, surveillance towers, detention beds, the Electronic Employee Verification System (EEVS), and other enforcement programs. The moment the presidential signing pen meets the paper these funds will be available.

http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=presspage&id=276978

English is Declared the National Language of the United States

The legislation states that no person has a "right, entitlement or claim to have the Government of the United States or any of its officials or representatives act, communicate, perform or provide services, or provide materials in any language other than English.." It also makes clear that the U.S. government and federal agencies should "preserve and enhance the role of English as the national language of the United States of America ." The conservative Heritage Foundation has called the amendment "both sensible and necessary."  http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=presspage&id=275683

Additional Information on this subject: Senator Jim Inhofe, sponsor of the English National Amendment, on his amendment's passage http://www.inhofe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=0840d46d-802a-23ad-4232-9f54fffa5acb&Region_id=&Issue_id =

Current Immigration Laws are Inadequate - Here's How We Reform and Strengthen our Immigration & Employment Law

http://lgraham.senate.gov/pdf/Immigration%20Enforcing%20Current%20Law%20Only.pdf

The Legislation Holds Employers Accountable for the Workers They Hire

To crack down on the hiring of illegal workers, the immigration reform bill sets up an Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification System (EEVS) to help employers verify the status of the workers they hire. Employers will be required to verify the work eligibility of all employees using EEVS and all workers will be required to present stronger and more readily verifiable identification documents. The legislation imposes stiff new Criminal and Civil penalties on employers who hire illegal workers.

http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=presspage&id=275393

General Background Information on the Immigration Reform Bill

The legislation charts a new path for our nation's immigration policies. The legislation reclaims control of our nation's borders by adding new Border Patrol agents and technology to stop illegal border crossings. It establishes a new comprehensive employee verification system - for all workers including Americans -- to ensure people are in the country legally and eligible to work.

It also breaks the cycle of chain migration by placing a premium on the education and job skills of new immigrants coming to the United States . This new merit-based system is a major change in our nation's immigration policies and allows us to attract the best and brightest in the world.

It establishes a temporary guest worker system to meet our nation's future labor needs. Temporary workers can come here and work for a defined period of time, but they must return to their home country. And it establishes procedures to deal with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants -- allowing them to stay under our rules -- not theirs . They will be placed on probation and pay fines, learn English, and assimilate into American society. If they want to become citizens -- a minimum 13 year process -- they will be forced to leave the United States and return to their country of origin. Only from there will they be allowed to apply for citizenship.

http://lgraham.senate.gov/pdf/Information%20on%20Immigration%20Reform.pdf

A Sample of what is being said in South Carolina and around the Nation in Support of Immigration Reform

South Carolina 's business community has been supportive of comprehensive immigration reform in Washington .

The SC Chamber of Commerce submitted this letter of support http://www.scchamber.net/mx/hm.asp?id=hl1 and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce has also written Senator Graham http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=presspage&id=277731 letting him know the status quo is unacceptable.

Other South Carolina groups expressing support for the legislation include

  Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

  South Carolina Farm Bureau

  South Carolina Poultry Federation

  South Carolina Agribusiness Council

  South Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association.

Conservative columnist Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard, Bill O'Reilly of Fox News Channel, and conservative talk radio host Michael Medved have been supportive of comprehensive immigration reform. ( http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=presspage&id=275676 ) Closer to home, South Carolina newspapers including the Charleston Post & Courier, Greenville News, The State, Orangeburg Times & Democrat and Spartanburg Herald Journal have also weighed in with editorials expressing support for the legislation. ( http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=presspage&id=275240 and http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=presspage&id=275036 )

Common Myths and Facts about the Legislation

Myth / Fact Volume 1:

http://lgraham.senate.gov/pdf/Immigration%20Myth-Fact.pdf

Myth / Fact Volume 2:

http://lgraham.senate.gov/pdf/Immigration%20Fact%20Sheet%20Responding%20to%207%20Key%20Myths.pdf

Myth / Fact Volume 3:

http://lgraham.senate.gov/pdf/Immigration%20Fact%20Check%20052507.pdf

Myth / Fact Volume 4:

http://lgraham.senate.gov/pdf/Immigration%20Myth%20vs%20Fact%204.pdf

Closing Thoughts from U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on Illegal Immigration and the Path Forward on Immigration Reform

There is no doubt that illegal immigration has placed real burdens and strains on our state and nation. Illegal immigrants have come here against our laws and are using our health care and education services. They have created identity theft problems with their buying or procuring of Social Security numbers and false identities. And even worse, there is absolutely no way to ensure they are paying taxes on the money they earn here like millions of law-abiding American workers are required to do.

I understand that honest, decent taxpayers across South Carolina are bearing the costs of this problem. People are mad about the situation and for good reason. Illegal immigration has gotten way out of control and the problem has been allowed to fester for too long. Frustration that the Federal Government can not pass laws to address this issue is manifesting itself all over the country, with state and local legislatures considering over 1,100 individual ordinances that deal with illegal immigration.

The magnet drawing illegal immigrants into the United States is the ease with which they can find employment. All an illegal immigrant needs is a fake driver's license and a bogus Social Security card, both of which can be bought for a few hundred dollars.

As long as the documents appear to be genuine - a huge gaping hole in current law - the employer can legally hire the worker. The current situation was best summed up by one individual in Pennsylvania 's farming industry who said, "Many of our members have legally hired illegal workers."

Let's be clear, there are no perfect or magical answers to our immigration problems. Any proposed solution which can be signed into law is going to have some things in there that I don't like and I would prefer not to do. But at the end of the day, we live in a political process and nation that requires give-and-take and compromise. It is the way we solve big problems.

While our legislation is not perfect, it will give some much-needed direction and guidance to the towns, cities, counties, and states which have born the brunt of illegal immigration. If Congress fails to act, the problem of illegal immigration will only grow and the anger felt by the people of South Carolina will worsen.

The legislation is the best opportunity for our nation to address our illegal immigration problems in a realistic and honest manner. I hope you will agree.

Lindsey O. Graham

United States Senator