The Honorable Eric Cantor! Majority Leader!

Office of the Majority Leader H-329, The Capitol United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

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Dear Majority Leader Cantor:!! !! Recently, President Obama once again emphasized the importance of passing comprehensive immigration reform quickly.! In the House, legislation to fix our broken immigration system, HR 15, would reduce the deficit by $900 billion during the next two decades, including $200 billion in the first decade alone, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. According to public polling, a majority of Americans support reforming our immigration system, including 84 percent of Republicans.!

A set of reforms that provides a pathway to earned citizenship and expands high skilled and other temporary worker programs would together boost Virginias economic output approximately $7.2 billion, in 2012 dollars, by 2045.! Providing such programs will also increase total personal income for Virginia families by approximately $2.7 billion by 2020.!

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In fact, just last week, your former colleague Republican Congressman Tom Davis urged Republicans in Congress to act on immigration for the benefit of the nation.!!!!!!!!!!! Despite these economic facts and support for reform from both sides of the aisle, under your leadership the Republican House majority has continued to refuse to take action on immigration reform.!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As you know, the only way to truly fix our immigration reform begins with congressional action. The Senate passed a truly bipartisan bill to reform our immigration system last year, but the House has failed to take it up for a vote. In fact, Speaker Boehner has even suggested that it would be difficult to move any immigration legislation at any time this year.!!!!!!!!

Your refusal to take up this critical issue for yet another year is irresponsible.! Moreover, rather than taking the nation forward, your leadership has set back immigration policy even further.!

Instead of taking up bipartisan efforts, House Republican brought the ENFORCE Act to the floor, which could dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that the Obama administration implemented in 2012, and that is providing relief from deportation for undocumented youth.!!!!!!!!!!!!! !! It seems that to House Republicans it isnt enough to block much-needed reform. Instead, it seems, that you are committed to voting for legislation that would hurt the immigrant community.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The truth is that there is no reason why immigration reform cannot happen this year. President Obama and Democrats in Congress as well as many Republicans in the Senate want to see immigration reform accomplished.!!! !! Respectfully, Leader Cantor, its time for you to put your money where your mouth is on this issue.! Start working with Democrats to finish the job on reforming our broken immigration system.!

As Virginians, we know this issue is critical to the success of our Commonwealth, where one in nine of our population is born outside the United States and 14.9 percent of our labor force is foreign born. And we know what can be accomplished when both parties work together for the good of our Commonwealth and our country.

! Its up to you.!! ! !

We should get this done now and begin to improve the lives of millions of immigrants right away.!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sincerely,!!!!!!!!!! Alfonso Lopez! House of Delegates! Arlington Marty Martinez! Leesburg Town Council! Leesburg Walter Tejada! Board of Supervisors! Arlington Jaime Flores! Alexandria

Leo Cruz! Alexandria Ambar Pinto! Arlington! Giancarla Rojas!! Arlington Carmen Pastor! Arlington

Mayra Vasquiz! Henrico Cesar del Aguila! Herndon Dr. Sergio Rimola! Herndon Olga Rimola! Herndon Barbara Mitchell!! Loudoun Co.! Richard Cabellos! Manassas Lucero Soto Wiley! Norfolk Carlos Castro! Prince William County Ivania C. Castillo! Prince William County John Villamil-Casanova! Prince William County Aida Pacheco! Richmond Jennyfer Hernadez-Austria! Richmond Karel Carreon! Richmond Monique Alcala! Richmond! Miguel Urbiztondo! Richmond Nury Mujica! Richmond! Remberto Pedraja! Richmond

Lori Maes! Arlington Gloria Rockhold! Charlottesville Charlotte de Dios! Chesterfield! Juan Santacoloma! Chesterfield Luis Aguilar!! Falls Church! Nelly Samaniego! Falls Church Alexandra Dixon! Fairfax Cecelia William! Fairfax Keisy Chavez! Fairfax Monica Sarmiento! Fairfax Dr. Ralph Coppola! Fairfax Louisa Meruvia! Fairfax Rick Castaneda! Harrisonburg

Vilma Seymour! Richmond! Yanet Limon! Richmond Vivian Sanchez-Jones! Roanoke Nick Brana! Vienna Beatriz Amberman! Virginia Beach Lissette Carbajal! Warrenton Charlotte Fritts! Winchester