Sample Letter For Contractors, #3
Back To Immigration Home.
Dear ,
As a landscape contractor in (city) with approximately (number) employees and annual gross sales of (dollars), I am deeply troubled by the immigration reform measures being considered in Congress.
I employ and work with many immigrant workers. I would like to tell you a little bit more about this workforce. Working in this field is not an easy job. The hours are long. The work is hard manual labor. The weather conditions can often be challenging. Landscaping work is physically demanding overall. These immigrant workers are committed, reliable and dedicated workers.
I agree that our immigration system is dysfunctional and would even argue that it is broke. (statement about why current immigration laws make no sense and must be changed, with example to illustrate point) However, an enforcement-only approach such as the one offered by the House will not fix the problems that plague the system. The landscaping industry's livelihood relies on the passage of immigration reform that does not mirror the House bill which supports sending the estimated 7-11 million undocumented workers back to their home countries.
I ask you to consider the following. As a nation, we have historically shown complacent indifference to the presence of illegal workers in the U.S. to such an extent that there are nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants currently residing within the U.S. borders. This is because we have relied on this population for decades to do the jobs we as Americans will not do, to pay into a deteriorating Social Security system, and to contribute to our nation's economic stability. Whether or not we want to openly admit it, this is a workforce that our nation depends upon. These immigrants should be given an opportunity to legally work and earn legalization. This would finally allow them to fully integrate into to the community to which they so greatly contribute.
Comprehensive reform should account for this reality and, at the same time, provide for the necessary future flow of new workers into the U.S. In industries such as landscaping, this workforce is indispensable. Comprehensive immigration reform does not simply mean punishing illegal immigrants and employers. Rather, it means realizing that we need to create a humane, workable, efficient and controlled immigration system that will ensure both our national security and our economic stability. The more honest we are with the reality of the situation, the more pragmatic our approach can be regarding how to fix our broken system.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my concerns.
Sincerely,