Op-Ed: Texas Gov. Abbott Must Address Illegal Immigration Incentives
The Invasion of Texas: Addressing the Issue of Illegal Immigration
The state of Texas is currently facing a significant challenge – an invasion of illegal aliens pouring across its border. While some may argue that these individuals are asylum seekers or refugees, everyday Americans recognize them as economic migrants. It is widely known that employment opportunities serve as the primary motivation for illegal immigration.
American employers offer higher wages compared to businesses in Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The promise of better pay and an improved quality of life acts as a powerful incentive for citizens of these countries, and others, to travel thousands of miles and engage in business with narcoterrorist cartels to enter the United States.
So, why isn’t Texas Governor Greg Abbott taking action to remove this incentive?
Although it is against federal law to hire individuals who are not lawfully present in the U.S., businesses and contractors often choose to violate this law by hiring illegal aliens. These individuals are willing to work for lower wages than American citizens, resulting in harm to Americans on two fronts - lower wages and an increase in illegal immigration. This situation calls for a solution.
The Solution: Mandating E-Verify
Republicans understand the solution to this problem: mandating the use of E-Verify, a federal program that checks the legal status of potential workers for employers, and imposing real penalties on businesses that hire illegal aliens in violation of federal law.
According to a Rasmussen poll, 71 percent of Texas voters believe that the government should mandate the use of the E-Verify system to ensure that U.S. jobs are reserved for legal workers. This issue is even more popular among Texas Republican primary voters, with 82 percent supporting the requirement for Texas employers to use E-Verify and making it a felony for individuals to use false identification to obtain employment.
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