In the Jan. 1 article “Immigration-Reform Lobbyists Prepare for Tough Crowd in 112th,” an official from the pro-amnesty group America’s Voice puts words into my mouth. I have never and would never call illegal immigrants “gangbangers.”

But the DREAM Act that Congress considered was so overbroad that it would have given amnesty to some criminals. That is a statement of fact, not name-calling. As we’ve seen recently, when pro-amnesty groups feel that their agenda is threatened, they resort to gross misrepresentations. These types of attacks are typical because they are unwilling to debate the facts.

Under the DREAM Act, illegal immigrants could get amnesty even if they have committed crimes like driving under the influence, passport fraud and visa fraud.

Once an application is filed, no matter how fraudulent, the federal government is prohibited from deporting the applicant. And once the amnesty recipients become citizens and turn 21, they can sponsor their illegal immigrant parents for legalization, who can then sponsor others. This kind of chain migration only encourages more illegal immigration.

— Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), House Judiciary chairman