As Congress continues to debate ways to address illegal immigration we must remember the many hard-working legal immigrants that contribute so much to our nation's economy and culture.

Legislation passed in the aftermath of September 11 2001 enhanced our intelligence capabilities and strengthened our national defense but until now our nation's immigration policies have not adapted to the needs of a post-September 11th world.

I mean we must act with intelligence. We must work on this framework so that immigration becomes an asset to both nations. Believe me what - just the Mayor Bloomberg said here in New York that this city would be stopped totally stopped if it were not by the immigrants working here.

I am a beneficiary of the American people's generosity and I hope we can have comprehensive immigration legislation that allows this country to continue to be enriched by those who were not born here.

Illegal immigration is not just a matter of interest in states along our border with Mexico. It is having an effect on local economies schools health care delivery and public safety all across the country.

I support concrete and progressive immigration reform based on three primary criteria: family reunification economic contributions and humanitarian concerns.

I don't see how the party that says it's the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter century.

Washington D.C. is what is broken not the immigration policies. We have good laws. We have people suffer every day because of government's failure to enforce the law and be respectful to the process we have. We have a pathway to citizenship already in place.

On the one hand we publicly pronounce the equality of all peoples on the other hand in our immigration laws we embrace in practice these very theories we abhor and verbally condemn.

Immigration is not the top issue for Latinos. Latinos are like every other American - economy jobs healthcare education.