Some state lawmakers want to revive the immigration debate in the Texas Legislature. Texas lawmakers revived discussions by proposing more than a dozen bills that among other things would punish employers for hiring illegal workers and challenge the U.S. citizenship of illegal immigrants U.S.-born children.
Other bills filed for the 2009 Legislature would require public schools to maintain records on students immigration status impose a fee on money wired to Latin America require identification from voters at the polls prohibit parole for illegal immigrants and create a state criminal trespassing charge for illegal immigrants enforced by local police.
Several of the proposals are similar to ones that were introduced in the last session which failed to make it out of committee because they were considered unconstitutional.
In February 2009 Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued a legal opinion that concluded that a proposed state law that would suspend the business license of any employer that hires illegal aliens would be constitutional under federal law. The AG found that the legislation proposed in Texas - which closely mirrors an Arizona law - does not conflict with the federal governments constitutional role in immigration matters.
Two years ago more than a dozen bills targeting illegal immigration were stalled by an attorney generals ruling that they were too broad or impinged on the jurisdiction of the federal government. A number of Republican lawmakers have worked to refine bills for this legislative session that give the state tools to discourage and punish illegal immigration.
The legislation is currently pending in the Texas state legislature and if passed would provide Texas with additional enforcement measures to ensure employers are not hiring illegal aliens but instead hire only workers who are authorized to work in the United States.
Once again most important immigration bills were sent by Speaker Joe Straus to the House State Affairs Committee. He appointed State Representative Burt Solomons chair of that powerful committee.
In the estimation of many prognosticators in Austin conservative committee chairs have made it their mission to see that important immigration bills die again in committees by not giving them hearings. Solomons has introduced an immigration bill of his own HB 3949 which requires applicants for many occupational licenses be eligible for employment in the U.S.
To date Solomons and his committee have taken no action on any bill relating to illegal immigration.
Immigration Facts from
Texas FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform)
More than 11 million illegal immigrants are in the United States
1.4 million in Texas (6 of our population)
700000 new illegals enter the United States every year
58333 per month
1900 per day
79 per hour
83000 new illegals enter Texas every year
6916 per month
227 per day
9 per hour
65000 illegal immigrants graduate from Texas Public Schools per year
3700 illegal immigrants attend Texas public colleges and universities
7 million illegal workers in the U.S. labor force
$4.7 billion per year in gross taxpayer expenditures for illegal immigration with a net $3.7 billion per year after deducting estimated taxes collected from illegal immigration. $725 per household taxpayer expenses
$4 billion per year in public education costs due to illegal immigration
$1.7 billion for illegal immigrant children
$2.3 billion for U.S. born children of illegal immigrants
$520 million per year in health care costs
$150 million per year for incarceration does not include local jail incarceration or cost of local law enforcement
