To US Pres. Obama from Fil-Am migrants

Dear President Barack Obama,

The Migrant Heritage Commission wishes to heartily congratulate you for having been reelected.

This is a historical win, and a critical one too.

Now is the time for you to build your legacy, Mr. President.  We have not seen much of improved quality of lives for millions of Americans, and the next four years is thus critical.

In your last term, the Filipino-American migrant communities will actively articulate and demand that you focus mainly on reinvigorating the economy by providing the environment for job creation.  Crucial is the need to balance between taxes and spending policies, as well as addressing our huge budget deficit, and the looming fiscal cliff projected to happen in January 2013.

The time is running short, Mr. President, and we truly hope for a meeting of the minds of and a middle ground for Democrats and Republicans in the interest of the American people, and not just party interests.

We will also continue to lobby for the passage and implementation of a comprehensive immigration reform to resolve the long-standing and increasing number of 12 million undocumented immigrants in the country.

Deportation is an impractical thing to do, because it would cost billions in dollars for the government’s litigation, prosecution, detention, and airfare, aside from breaking apart families that have long made the US their home. For a win-win situation, Mr. President, the only way is the path to residency and citizenship for the good immigrants.

In particular, Mr. President, we would love to finally see the passage of the Dream Act for young, deserving, and promising immigrants, the stoppage of deportation orders, the revival of Sec. 245 (i) of the INA Act which provides for paying penalty fees for overstaying aliens, allowing of spouses of H4 spouses and dependents of H1 visas holders to work, and shorten waiting periods for family and employment immigrant visas.

These Mr. President will significantly lower the staggering statistics of undocumented aliens, increase the fees and tax generation of government, and effectively unite immigrant families.

We are also concerned of the US leading a more peaceful and just world, hence we discourage US participated wars and other forms of foreign aggression.  Please continue to lead this world to become a safer and peaceful community of nations, going to war costs billions of dollars which could have been well-spent for other developmental programs.

Please make sure to recall all US troops in Afghanistan and close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

Finally, we continue to support the implementation of the Affordable Health Care Law, dubbed as Obamacare, as your centerpiece program. This is an affirmation of the philosophy that a truly wealthy nation is the presence of a healthy and well-cared for people.

We urge you to continue creating opportunities to realize our “American dream” and make this great nation truly a “nation of immigrants.” These should be your legacy, Mr. President, and you will be endeared and remembered by the American people and the peoples of the world as the epitome of a democratic and humane leadership!

Thank you very much. God bless the United States of America in these trying times.

Sincerely yours,

Migrant Heritage Commission

Executive Directors

Arnedo Valera, ESQ.

Grace Valera-Jaramillo

Jesse Gatchalian