Florida's First District Congressman, Jeff Miller took his office hours on the road Friday, meeting with residents in Chipley and Bonifay. The Congressman listened to issues like veterans’ health care and the increase of military troops in Iraq.

Representative Miller also used the opportunity to spread the word about what he calls "A Northwest Florida Crisis," illegal immigration.

It was a day for discussion, face to face with his community, in light of what Congressman Miller calls a crisis.

"Because of the strain that some of these illegal aliens are putting on the healthcare systems even the school systems."

Like many of his fellow Republicans in Washington, Florida's First District Congressman feels illegal immigration is a drain on the nation's well being. That’s a situation he says, is clearly reflected in northwest Florida. A community he says is still very vulnerable to an even bigger wave of illegal immigration.

"You have parts in the northeast where you have large populations of illegals that have congregated and they keep looking to the federal government to bail them out."

In many cases, undocumented immigrants have established themselves in this country, with families to support with children who are born in the u-s and, therefore by law, are American citizens.

"Obviously there are a lot of people that think the law should be a little different. Most Americans will tell you that they do not believe that a child born in the United States should be an American citizen based solely on the fact that they were born on American soil and that is not the way it originally was."

But the reality is there are 12 million illegal immigrants living in America, facing a citizenship process that can take years.

“And a solution to this problem you say would be a fence? Without question the bleeding at the southern border has to stop, until you stop the flow of illegals, Ronald Reagan did an amnesty program and the idea was that if we let everybody in the country who's illegal become an American citizen would no longer be a problem, it would become a vacuum."

But amnesty is a big part of president bush's worker program, which would give illegal workers the opportunity to stay in this country legally, for an allotted amount of time. It's an idea Rep. Miller does not agree with.

"I can assure that if the idea begins moving forward that amnesty it's a real possibility the numbers coming along the southern border would absolutely expound."

Congressman Miller is from Chumukla, near Pensacola. His district covers the area from Escambia County on the west and heads east to include Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Washington and Holmes Counties. For more information on issues concerning your district, or if you have any questions you can contact Congressman Miller's Pensacola district office. The toll free number is 866-367-1614.