May 23, 2006

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

For more than one week, you have heard a flood of incorrect media reports suggesting the United States will "militarize" the U.S. - Mexico border. Unfortunately, a great deal of what we are reading and hearing has been misleading and exaggerated, and focuses only upon the security portion of both the President's comprehensive reform plan and the myriad issues the Senate will be debating this week.

I urge you to read the text below of President Bush's Saturday, May 20, radio address, and to consider his ideas about how the United States will approach the fundamental challenges we face. As you can see from the text, the President has solid and positive proposals designed to make our common border safer for Americans and Mexicans. Rather than "militarizing" the border, President Bush instead plans to focus our resources on apprehending those who wish to do us harm, while minimizing the unfortunate but real inconveniences incumbent on a border that sees a million legitimate travelers and billions of dollars in commerce crossing each day. The President also emphasized the need to reform U.S. immigration laws to match immigrants who want to work with the employers who need their skills, and he discussed just and practical proposals to resolve the legal status of the millions of foreign nationals who are living and working already in the United States.

As the former governor of Texas, President Bush knows better than anyone that we cannot simply build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, as some have urged. His recent visit to Yuma, Arizona and his tour of border patrol facilities there underscores his continued strong interest in seeing migration and security issues resolved to the benefit of Americans and Mexicans.

Please click here to read more about President Bush's trip to Arizona

I hope you agree with me that the President's ideas offer the best and most practical solutions to the fundamental challenges of security and immigration. Please read them in detail below:

President Bush's radio address

For more information from the White House on Immigration Reform, please click here.

As always, I thank you for the opportunity to share important information about matters that affect the people of our two countries. May God bless Mexico and the United States.

With best wishes, I am,

Sincerely,

Antonio O. Garza, Jr.

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