State Representative David Bly, MN District 25B

Tuesday I met with a group of neighbors who had numerous concerns, from transportation to education, but also interesting insights on the immigration issue.  A number of them were immigrants from diverse places across the world:  One from Mexico, one from Malaysia another from Thailand and a fourth from Ghana.  All of them work in the area and have children attending our schools.  Like all parents, they want the best for their children.  They understood the limitations any district has in what in can provide, but still they worried about large class sizes and are concerned about the district’s fiscal health.

Three of them remarked at the changes caused by recent events and the concern about illegal immigrants.  They described deplorable situations where elderly relatives wishing to come to visit their grandchildren are denied visas because they reside in an Islamic country, or simply because restrictions on visas are so severe and costly.  They expressed a desire to work on developing tolerance and getting the illegal immigrant situation under better control.

There are many sides to the immigration debate and we need leaders who will listen and work for solutions to these complex problems.  It is clear we need to control illegal immigration but also protect the rights of legal residents and assist them in their efforts to become good citizens of our country.