Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 1:00 PM

Dear Fellow Citizens:

Citizens will have the opportunity to testify on the two most important pieces of legislation in the Maryland General Assembly this year related to the fight against illegal aliens.

House Bill 885, "Counties & Municipal Corporations - Illegal Alien "Sanctuary Laws" - Prohibition," prohibits Maryland towns and cities from passing "sanctuary" laws.

House Bill 1232, "Citizens' Rights Act," a model piece of legislation for the entire country, for the first time will allow citizens to file a complaint against an elected or public official based on the premise that that official is violating the Federal Immigration Act.  The complaint could eventually result in removal from office.  Some examples would be:  public official support for illegal alien drivers' licenses, discounted college tuition, construction of day labor centers, access to public benefits, and other budgetary and policy actions.

The Citizens' Rights Act provides an opportunity for everyone to visit Annapolis and express their concerns about the entire illegal immigration problem.  It will be your responsibility to present testimony regarding how these illegal immigration policies are impacting the state of Maryland and you, personally.

Contact Michelle Purdy in my office by March 6, 2008 if you will be visiting Annapolis or providing written or oral testimony for the House Judiciary Committee on March 11.  She may be reached at 410-841-3334 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

See you on the 11^th !

Del. Pat McDonough

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Delegate Pat McDonough plans to file a federal lawsuit against Gov. Martin O’Malley and the General Assembly, saying they have turned Maryland into a haven for illegal immigrants.

O’Malley and the legislature, McDonough said, are violating federal immigration law by “aiding and abetting illegal aliens,” creating a “sanctuary state.”

“The politicians and the governor in the state of Maryland are probably the worst in the country,” said McDonough, R-Baltimore and Harford counties. “Maryland is a lost cause. The politicians in this state sold out to illegals.”

McDonough said he worked with Taneytown City Councilman Paul Chamberlain Jr. to craft a resolution that would have declared the town was not a “sanctuary city” and would not tolerate illegal immigrants.

The military that defends our nation is willing to die for it.  Dr. Martin Luther King marched and shed his blood for it.  The Constitution guarantees it and Old Glory is the symbol of it.  It is the greatest gift that any American can receive.  “It” is United States citizenship.

U.S. citizenship is the envy of the world and yearned for by freedom-loving people everywhere.  The ancient Greeks considered citizenship to be a public office of equal stature to that of a governor or a president.  Our nation’s unprecedented special form of citizenship is based on liberty and justice.  It is the greatest form of citizenship ever bestowed upon a human being in the history of the world.

With citizenship comes powerful rights and important responsibilities.  Among those rights and responsibilities is the obligation to protect the institution of citizenship from attack.  The attack in the past decade has been relentless and damaging.  Public officials from the President to the Governor of our state have decided to violate the “rule of law” and respect for our citizenship by providing illegal aliens with benefits normally given only to our citizens.  This misguided philosophy has diminished the stature of our form of citizenship and subjected it to disrespect and exploitation.  The 20 million unlawful invaders who have crossed our borders receive the rewards of healthcare, education, social services, earning a decent wage, housing, and all of the gifts our society provides.