Dear President Obama.
I want to start off by congratulating you on you second term in office. I supported your presidency for both elections, posting on Facebook, Twitter, and talking to my friends about you as a great person with great leadership skills. I also contributed to you in other ways so that we can have you as a President for 8 years. However I did not vote for you.
Why you may ask? I am a legal permanent resident in this country but I cannot legally vote. I have been here since January 1999, when I entered this country as a Transnational from Canada. Here, I met my now wife, who happens to be American, and became a legal permanent resident in 2006 after enduring countless paperwork, a harsh interview from a Homeland Security employee, going for my biometrics in downtown Boston a few times, to be questioned for deceitfulness due to dry skin and "modifying" my prints, and paying many fees to remain in this country that I love. I also have two children who are born here and they are lawful citizens. During the past 14 years, I have payed taxes, Medicare, and Social Security on my paycheck and payed my taxes each and every year. I always though this country was based on "No taxation without representation" but I guess that does not apply to legal residents.
Now I hear about a plan to make unlawful immigrants in this country permanent residents after 8 years, as long as they have committed less than three crimes and/or have spent less than a year behind bars. I understand we must address this issue of "unlawful immigrants". I have to admit, Mr. President, this has rubbed me the wrong way for several reasons. First of all, you are giving a pardon of some sort to individuals who came here in less than legal ways. I have crossed the border legally each and every time and let's just say that there were times I was treated not so nicely. I was held on a few occasions for TN issues, which, in my opinion, was an excuse to pick on me. I also somehow always get pick for random searches. Why do we treat people who do things the legal way in that particular way.
I also struggle with "only 3 crimes". I have been told on multiple occasions that one crime and I am deported. Not just three crimes or less or less than a year in jail: ANY CRIME. It is appalling to hear these terms when I get treated as a threat...and I have done nothing but love this country. And let's not even think of the court costs, law enforcement, incarceration that less than three crimes cost. So not only do we have lower standards for unlawful immigrants to become awful, they already have created a cost and never paid taxes.
Mr. President, please don't make legal immigrants regret doing it the right way. Paying taxes, being lawful should not feel this wrong.
