Texas and immigration practically go hand in hand. According to the U.S. Department of Labor 2006 fiscal report for temporary worker visas processed regionally, Texas was one of the top 5 states in utilizing these workers. Texas like many other states in America is home to illegal immigrants. Also, just like any other state right now, Texas is very carefully watching the outcome of immigration legislation and awaiting their impact on its economy.
As equally present as this news is around us so are the far right and left opinions about this issue. It seems everyone has taken a side and they are all on opposite ends of the spectrum on an issue that for me is not so black or white because you are dealing with people and their fight for what they believe is fair. Fair is such a relative term. What is fair to me may not be fair to you and visa versa. So in the effort of fairness, I would like to take this opportunity to present to my fellow Texans what the issues are and why we should think more clearly about the big picture and not just the band wagon we have currently decided to ride upon.
The first side to the immigration saga is what the labor leaders predict will happen to our labor markets. The influx of cheap labor will cause a decrease in overall wages offered. These workers would become attractive to employers and would therefore contribute to unemployment of current citizens. Then there is the issue of opening Pandora’s Box on letting hoards of people here from Mexico which could cause a domino effect leading to people from other countries coming over as well. Beyond employment, you have housing, resource consumption, taxes, social security, and the list goes on and on of policy that would have to be revisited to incur these new residents.
Now, I present the other side of the story. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there is a growing need for low paying and low skilled jobs just as there will become a labor need when older workers leave the workforce. Texas relies heavily on low skilled workers in its shrimp and agricultural industries. In 2006 alone, Texas supported 59,000 visas for these purposes. However, now with the fail of the recent immigration bill and already long processes in obtaining these visas crops have died and shrimp boats have sat empty on the docks. There is no attraction to these jobs to local workers and so employers must go after the viable work source which is in Mexico. The Texas Produce Association has already predicted that if it cannot get the workers it needs they will be forced to move production to Mexico anyway. Texas stands to not only lose products but also industries, and this is not good for the economy either.
In saying all of this, am I saying that you should feel one way or the other? No, I definitely am not. In fact, I am saying quite the opposite. We need to really focus our attention on the broad scope of the issue because it is not so black or white but at best blurry lines of gray. We have spent years not addressing this issue to its fullest extent and look where that has gotten us. Isn’t it time to just figure out what works before it is too late? You decide.
Current immigration law makes those in this country illegally Felons. Until this law is changed, which I doubt it ever will, the current law should be enforced. Employers who break the law by hiring "Undocumented Workers" should be held accountable the same way people who are "Unlicensed Pharmacists" -- drug dealers, are held accountable, and those who use their services should be treated the same. They should go to prison. Enforce that law, and you remove the reason for illegal immigration. No jobs, why come.
Posted by: Jim Williams | July 13, 2007 at 09:53 AM
Yeah, California and Texas probably have the most to lose/gain with immigration laws.
Posted by: Houston Labor Lawyer | February 23, 2009 at 10:59 AM