Citizen Lobbyists at the Hold Their Feet To The Fire event visited the offices of Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) on Capitol Hill to discuss illegal Immigration. I talked with Diana Sanchez of You Don't Speak For Me, a group of Hispanics opposed to illegal immigration, about what occurred in that meeting and her general sense of Diaz-Ballard's staff and his stance on illegal immigration.

They met with Diaz-Balart's Legislative Director, Cesar Gonzalez. Diana told me that in general Diaz-Balart had already made up his mind regarding a guest worker program and that he supports the STRIVE act, which gives amnesty to illegal aliens.

Diana asked Gonzalez "Why do we need another guest worker program?"

"Because businesses need workers." Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez stated the general notion that there are only two ways to solve the illegal immigration issue, amnesty and mass deportation. Gonzalez said that a guest worker program would "weed out the criminals". Something that is not even being done today with our guest worker programs already in place.

The real travesty for Diaz-Balart is that his staff informed the team that his position is "We can't secure the border it's impossible"

"We can't even secure the border in Iraq, how can we secure them here?" Gonzalez said.

The office also denied that illegal aliens are receiving welfare when the team presented information to the contrary.

When confronted with HR 563, the bill introduced by Duncan Hunter to pardon Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean, the staff for Lincoln Diaz-Balart said that he would rad up on it, but Diana Sanchez told me that they didn't seem too positive when they stated that.

In general all of the responses to their questions were prepared statements and talking points and Diana felt that there was little chance of their voices actually being heard.