April 2, 2006:

Pending legislation in Washington, D.C. along with protests in the streets of Las Vegas, as well as other cities around the country, have brought the issue of illegal immigration to the forefront. Whether you are for or against the different congressional bills, there is no doubt that illegal immigrants are having an impact on the State of Nevada. Opponents to immigration reform want to paint this as a racial issue - but it is not. Individuals from around the globe are coming to the U.S. and Nevada illegally. This is an issue of homeland security and abiding by the law - plain and simple.

In his book, Leadership, Rudy Giuliani, the grandson of immigrants, addresses the problems plaguing the social programs of New York City when he served as mayor. He states, "For every right there is an obligation, for every privilege there is a duty." The grandson of immigrants myself, I firmly believe that if someone wants the rights of an American, then they have an obligation to work towards citizenship, if they want to enjoy the privileges America has to offer, then they have the duty to obey her laws.

I am closely watching the progress in our Nation's Capital. If meaningful laws are not enacted by the beginning of the next legislative session, I am prepared to introduce bills that will maximize what can be done at the State level to minimize the adverse impact of this growing problem.

"We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with every one else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. . . We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American  nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt (To President of the American Defense Society, January 3, 1919)

Please feel free to contact me if you need more information about this, or any other issue.

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