[Professor]
Immigration Policy
The United States more than any other country welcomes in its arms more immigrants and Texas, than any other state, lets in more foreign and domestic migrants. It’s almost half of all the newly arrived migrants residing in the mentioned state are born foreign. Amounting to over four million migrants, Texas has been considered as one of the top three states that has the most number of born foreign migrants living within its parameters. Texas immigration has been considered as both a consequence and a cause of fast state growth. The strength of the economy and business model (fewer regulations, low cost of labor and lower taxes) in Texas have enticed many workers and companies in the recent years. This inflow has become and has stimulated more development (Orrenius, Zavodny and LoPalo, 1).
The diverse and large immigrant number in Texas today is fairly a more at ‘present’ phenomenon. Earlier in the history of Texas, flows in migration were composed mainly of settlers from other states in the United States (Orrenius, Zavodny and LoPalo, 1). Then came Mexicans who lead migrant influxes. This is despite the fact that most of them did not settle long-term in the state until the latter part of the 20th century (Orrenius, Zavodny and LoPalo, 1).
The foreign-born population part of Texas did not however exceed the nation’s migrant population in the state until the 1980s. This moment is the era when most small-skilled workers came into the state’s up and rose agricultural and oil areas. In the year 1986, the year of the oil bust and beginning recession, gave the motivation for currently beginning the diversity in the economy. This event was moving away from an economy based on commodities pushing Texas to begin attracting a wider range of immigrants both from other states and other countries (Orrenius, Zavodny and LoPalo, 1).
Newly arrived migrants gave the strength and the ideas necessary to stimulate faster economic growth and development. The employment numbers in Texas grew twice as fast as the nation’s employment growth rate beginning in the year 1990 (Orrenius, Zavodny and LoPalo, 1). Even with the flow of highly skilled immigrants in the 1990s, big parts of the immigrants in Texas are still considered poor and dependent on the welfare programs. This migrant influx has caused the labor market results as improved more than an individual could foresee.
People may be surprised to learn that the lower skilled immigrants earn more in Texas than they will do in the other parts of the nation. To add to this phenomenon, more immigrants in Texas actively participate in the forces of labor, and fewer migrants are unemployed countering the number of their other equals somewhere else in the country.
The rising number in Texas migrant numbers is still happening despite the immigration policies of the government that hinder or border entry of low and high skilled workers. A number of low-skilled workers are undocumented ever since the immigration policy of the nation severely restricted the migration of low-skilled laborers. In the meantime, the fairly low cost of living and a high salary grade attract these workers despite being undocumented. Although Texas greatly enjoys the largeness and diversity of the immigrant number, it has put the state to brave challenges to ensure their continuous economic growth (Orrenius, Zavodny and LoPalo, 1). As mentioned by Orrenius, Zavodny and LoPalo (1), since the nation’s imposed limit on migrants, many of them settle undocumented in the state’s boundaries putting them in greater danger as these workers have fewer safety guards. This growing number in undocumented migrants has pushed forth seven out of fourteen bills being passed by Texan Republicans that concern law enforcement, employment verification and immigration status (Payan, 10).
The failure of the United States Congress to handle immigration reforms motivated local governments to make their answers to the existence of immigrants who are undocumented in their states including Texas. The government’s shortage in leadership prompted many state governments to respond locally ranging from corrective to protective policies (Payan, 4). Texas, like other governments, made its answer to lessen undocumented migration. Different cities and counties later on linked arms in the ongoing debate of the past decades for their policies (Payan, 4).
The final view on this issue was somehow patchy. Despite generous ingenuities, other ideas still came out as harsh. In other words, Texan ordinances for undocumented migrants are still viewed as moderate when compared to its counterparts (Payan, 4).
There have been options to consider in limiting the undocumented immigrants. Such as the House Bill 2734, that moves for the mandatory supervision for illegal criminal aliens and the revocation of parole or supervision as a result of violating migrant conditions. This bill has been passed by the Senate and is considered a moderate course of action for illegal aliens, as opposed to other state legislation. According to Payan (11), this wavering unwillingness by the Texas Republican Party to create harsh anti-immigrant laws point to one issue that is the party itself is divided. The issue of the immigration has created a section in the party between the conservatives and the business community. The conservatives are quite hostile to immigrants but are unable to win against the issue against the most tolerant business aspect of the Republican Party. This business counterpart put greater value on the economic benefits brought with the migrant influx (Payan, 12).
It is then difficult to be consistent in the Texas position on immigration issues. This point of view has changed after the 2012 election results. It is clearer now that the Texan government position side by side the immigration issues had already demonstrated a great degree of moderation even before the 2012 elections. This moderation is well seen in the analysis mentioned in the previous paragraph.
There are only few implications that can be drawn from studying the Texan immigration issue. This effect might be because the states are not taking charge of the immigration and its’ related concerns in the past years. These attempts are only answers to the failure of the national government to handle the undocumented immigrants. The key effect, however is that the proposed immigration policy in Washington will most likely have large recommendations on border security. There is no actual agreement on what composes a secure border yet. But, different states such as Texas have apparent opinions about that. The idea is to be away from the issue, and the conservative wing of the party should avoid using border security as the main answer to this issue (Payan, 18). They should instead create clear measures on what a secure border should be. The secure border should be defined more objectively and less subjectively. With this issue, state governments including that of Texas have much involvement (Payan, 18). As the state government move to create policies to secure the U.S. border, the national government should then touch the border states to delegate actions on this concern (Payan, 18).
There are many chances to be corrective on this issue. But the Texas government has remained moderate on their views about undocumented immigrants. This moderation is caused by the evident economic benefits that it has brought the state. Being it near the US and Mexican border, the state has produced a booming economy with the help of the migrants including documented and undocumented ones. Because of the cheaper labor, many businesses in Texas business owners have opted to hire undocumented laborers just for the sake of its influx and cheaper benefits.
The Texas population in its majority is made up of foreign immigrants. These immigrants have higher participation in the workforce. They demand lower salaries more than their native counterparts. This fact has made them the ideal workforce for many business owners. Research has shown that the migrant participation in the country’s workforce has had a positive effect on the country’s wages. All this thanks to the Texan moderate approach on handling undocumented immigrants (Beeson, Helmcamp and Cerna, 1).
It is, however, a danger to be too moderate on undocumented migrants as this might lessen the protection of the people. It might promote lessening safety measures in the workplace that could also affect the legal migrants. Despite the effects that it has brought to the Texan economy, being undocumented creates an unfair competition among the native workers and the migrants. Since many of them benefit from the government’s welfare programs, they should as well be naturalized sooner than never.
I see no immediate solution to this issue. I can only suggest to naturalize all undocumented migrants who have contributed to the economy in terms of the number of years that they have rendered service for the State. They have after all contributed to the development of the nation. I would also recommend for a tighter border security to avoid more undocumented migrants in the future. We cannot eliminate all of these undocumented migrants after all. Might as well make them citizens in their right and adjust the security measures for future prevention. This course of action has been chosen in the analysis that migrants have dominated the United Stated market more than any individual could have predicted.
Works Cited
Beeson, Ann, Leslie Helmcamp, and Alejandra Cerna. Immigrants Drive the Texas Economy: Economic Benefits of Immigrants to Texas. Center for Public Policy Priorities, 2014. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://forabettertexas.org/images/EO_2014_09_PP_Immigration.pdf>.
Orrenius, Pia M., author. Gone to Texas: Immigration and the Transformation of the Texas Economy. N.p., 2013. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <https://www.dallasfed.org/assets/documents/research/pubs/gonetx.pdf>.
Payan, Tony. The Immigration Debate in Texas. Rice University: James A. Baker Institute of Public Policy, 2013. Web. 5 Dec. 2013. <http://bakerinstitute.org/files/2307/>.
Texas. Comptroller's Office. Undocumented Immigrants in Texas: A Financial Analysis of the Impact to the State Budget and Economy. Austin: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, 2006. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/specialrpt/undocumented/undocumented.pdf>.
