United States Capitol Washington, D.C. Friday, August 3, 2012 Mr.

Speaker, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans: As Jack Paar once said: Immigration is the sincerest form of flattery and for centuries, the United States of America have been a haven of peace and prosperity for millions of immigrants coming to this land to earn the piece of the American Dream. Most of us still remember Ellis Island where people from all over the world would transit before settling in the four corners of this great land. However, nowadays, our country has become synonymous with a place where grandmothers, children and innocent people are being deported without given a chance to contribute positively to the development of this nation. Never mind the unbelievably high cost of deporting one person, which, after the initial apprehension, detention, legal proceedings and transportation, stand as we speak at $23,480, trying to deport the 12 millions illegals residing in this country would cost a whopping $285 billion (Kasperkevic). Clearly, this will not only be possible financially but it would also be impossible in terms of manpower and resources needed. For that reason, the time has come for us to come together and enact a true immigration reform that will not only take care of the current problem but also offer opportunities to future immigrants and protect our American generations to come. This new bill will start by stopping deportations and begin granting work permits for some Dream Act-eligible students. It will allow some 800,000 productive young people, who have pledge allegiance to our flag, to stay in the United States without fear

of deportation, and without legislation from a Congress that is unlikely to pass a bill (Foley, 2012). The bill will also create: 45,000 to 55,000 new green cards for international graduate students in An end to country-cap restrictions within the visa program for skilled workers A provision to help family-visa immigrants move through the process more easily A new entrepreneurs visa program for immigrants who plan to start businesses in the United States. Dear Congress, as a closing remark, I just want to say that no one build a country on their own. This nation is great because of the contribution of so many immigrants. Imagine what we could accomplish if we took care of the ones here and added more. Think about that America: A place that would lead the world in every category, that attracts a new generation of high-tech engineers, doctors, athletes, business women and men, and scholars. That America would truly be a superpower and will built an economy to last where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.

Works Cited Foley, Elise. "Obama Administration To Stop Deporting Younger Undocumented Immigrants And Grant Work Permits." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 June 2012. Web. 03 Aug. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/15/obama-immigration-orderdeportation-dream-act_n_1599658.html>. Harrisson, Russ. "Immigration Reform Poised to Move in 2012." Immigration Reform Poised to Move in 2012. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Aug. 2012. <http://www.todaysengineer.org/2012/Jan/immigration.asp>. Kasperkevic, Jana. "Deporting All Of America's Illegal Immigrants Would Cost A Whopping $285 Billion." Business Insider. N.p., 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 03 Aug. 2012. <http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-01-30/news/31004595_1_deportation-kumarkibble-rob-paral>.