Op-Ed: Anna Little responds to questions regarding her position on illegal immigration

May 30, 2010 - PRLog -- Over the last several days, questions have arisen regarding my position on illegal immigration as it relates to my profession as an immigration attorney. Unlike our current representation in Washington, I understand that I work for the voters of the 6th District and that their concerns deserve honest, forthright answers.

I was admitted to the bar in 1992. I opened my own practice in 1994. I did this because I wanted to choose the cases for which I was responsible and the people that I represent.    My undergraduate degree from Seton Hall University was in Modern Languages. I am fluent in Spanish and French as well as English. I also have working knowledge of Japanese and Russian.

The United States is a nation of immigrants. Even the American Indians did not originate in the territory that we now call the United States.

An attorney must practice under the law that has been enacted by the Congress. After gaining experience in government as an elected official, I have decided to transition from following the laws others have made to creating the laws that they should have made.

I have 20 + years experience in navigating the progressive laws that enable illegal immigration. I have encouraged illegal immigrants to legalize or to go home and return with a proper immigration status. In many cases, illegal immigrants come to my office before ICE knows where they are.  

I choose to help illegal immigrants legalize or repatriate because that is the best policy for the United States. I have always promoted a strategy that avoids the unnecessary expenditure of taxpayer dollars on detention and taxpayer funded deportation.   Unless enforcement is encouraged and effected cooperatively between federal and state levels of government, true immigration reform will never be accomplished.

This is one major reason that I have chosen to run for Congress. With my strong background in Immigration Law I will promote and fund the full and unequivocal enforcement of present Immigration Law.

I will suggest federal regulations requiring reporting by temporary visitors and workers before their visas expire and denial of future visas if non-immigrants fail to report.

I will propose legislation that makes citizenship derivative from a parent's legal immigration status.

Children of illegal immigrants should not derive citizenship simply by virtue of having been born here. Children born in the United States of lawful permanent residents or citizens shall derive citizenship under my proposal.  

I will support funding of the wall along our Southern Border because I am keenly aware of the need to narrow entry opportunities between the US and our foreign neighbors to the south.

E-verify is an effective mechanism by which employers can confirm work authorization of job applicants. I support the extension of this program indefinitely. I further recommend that a similar system be made available to verify the validity of temporary visas and their expiration dates. Such a system would be essential to effective enforcement of the immigration law by state officials.

State legislation like that promulgated in Arizona is necessary to permit the use of state resources to house illegal immigrants when federal facilities are full. Section 287g is proof that the federal government requests help from the states and the people in Immigration Enforcement.  

Arizona should be commended for stepping up to the plate in the spirit of Independence and Self Government on which this nation was founded. All states should heed the call of the Federal Government for cooperative enforcement of Federal Immigration Law.

Mayor Anna Little-Candidate for Congress-(R) NJ6