Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas House Bill HCR88 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Garza, Pena, Torres, Margo, Aliseda, H.C.R. No. 88
2	2	et al.
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5	5	HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
6	6	WHEREAS, Our nation's immigration system is inefficient and
7	7	badly flawed, and a complete overhaul is urgently needed to protect
8	8	our borders and ensure our future economic prosperity; and
9	9	WHEREAS, The United States Congress last passed major
10	10	immigration legislation a quarter-century ago; the Immigration
11	11	Reform and Control Act of 1986 failed to solve the problem of
12	12	illegal immigration, and subsequent piecemeal attempts at reform
13	13	have failed to create a rational and effective system; and
14	14	WHEREAS, Current immigration channels are rigid and
15	15	cumbersome, and as a consequence, smugglers enjoy a thriving market
16	16	that puts great pressure on our borders; not only do too many people
17	17	enter the country illegally, but there is no way to track whether
18	18	the millions who enter on valid visas actually depart when those
19	19	visas expire; moreover, employers are burdened by a complicated and
20	20	inflexible system for verifying the immigration status of potential
21	21	employees, and unscrupulous employers who recruit and exploit
22	22	undocumented workers have little fear of punishment; immigration
23	23	enforcement often targets ordinary workers and their families,
24	24	diverting resources and personnel from efforts to protect against
25	25	genuine threats to national security; and
26	26	WHEREAS, Today, the U.S. economy is inextricably linked to
27	27	the global economy, and globalization has increased the importance
28	28	of labor mobility; businesses need to be able to plan for growth as
29	29	world economic conditions improve, but obsolete immigration
30	30	policies make it difficult to prepare to compete in the global
31	31	marketplace; furthermore, while the American workforce has become
32	32	older and better educated, industries such as agriculture continue
33	33	to require large numbers of workers able and willing to perform
34	34	physically demanding jobs; and
35	35	WHEREAS, Two recent studies, by the Cato Institute and the
36	36	Center for American Progress with the Immigration Policy Center,
37	37	indicate that a complete overhaul of our system of immigration
38	38	would boost the economy by $180 billion or more annually by raising
39	39	the productivity of immigrant workers and expanding activity
40	40	throughout the economy; and
41	41	WHEREAS, A true 21st-century immigration system would focus
42	42	on both the border and the workplace, establishing smart
43	43	enforcement policies and safeguards while creating legal
44	44	immigration channels that are flexible and serve our economic
45	45	interests; a complete overhaul should address the terms and
46	46	conditions of admission to and presence in this country, promote
47	47	the use of reliable and verifiable forms of worker identification,
48	48	and eliminate country of origin preferences; the violation of
49	49	immigration laws should be disincentivized, and employers and
50	50	prospective immigrants who have followed laws and procedures should
51	51	be rewarded; in addition, this overhaul must protect the rights and
52	52	equality of all United States citizens, including children; and
53	53	WHEREAS, Our national interests are poorly served by our
54	54	broken, embattled, and outdated immigration system, and patchwork
55	55	attempts to mend its deficiencies will not secure our borders or
56	56	prepare us to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex global
57	57	economy; now, therefore, be it
58	58	RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
59	59	hereby urge the United States Congress to swiftly enact a complete
60	60	overhaul of our system of immigration that promotes our economic
61	61	prosperity and national security; and, be it further
62	62	RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
63	63	copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
64	64	the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
65	65	Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
66	66	members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
67	67	this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
68	68	memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.