Recently, President Donald Trump said he would be willing to shut the government down if Congress does not pass immigration reform, tweeting, “A Government Shutdown is a very small price to pay for a safe and Prosperous America!”
I am glad the president is urging Congress to act because since 1986, our immigration laws have forced good faith employers to hire millions of undocumented immigrants. Those that are hired legally (using an I-9 form) are at least paying taxes, and their employers are matching them. But those being misclassified by employers willing to cheat the system are called “independent contractors.” Law abiding employers (using I-9 forms and playing by the rules) are targeted by ICE for I-9 audits. Honest employers also pay overtime, provide workers compensation, and comply with health insurance laws. Bottom line: our immigration laws encourage both employers and employees to cheat the system.
I agree with President Trump. America needs immigration reform that will improve security and promote prosperity. Right now our unemployment rate is at 3.9%, and there are 6.6 million open jobs. There has not been a time in the last twenty years America has had a greater need for workers. Securing our border effectively is a must, but we must also identify and tax the 11 million undocumented immigrants who are already here and working.
Republican Representative Bill Flores (TX-17) has the right idea; he recently said that the undocumented who are already here should be able to “come on out of the shadows, register with the government, agree that they broke the law, then agree to pay a fine and pay any back taxes they owe. If they pass a back ground check, they would be given a temporary residence card” so they could legally work and pay taxes. They would then be on probation for a certain number of years, and if they meet all the terms of their probation during that time they could earn permanent legal residency, he said.
Flores said that 80% of the people in his district believe that this is a good solution, and a recent poll showed 81% of Americans agree.
This solution will help America prosper, because it will make sure those undocumented individuals and their employers are paying the proper taxes so they can no longer undercut American businesses and workers.
This solution will also make America safer, because it will allow ICE to focus all of its resources on prosecuting the violent criminal aliens who are here looking to do us harm. We need immigration reform that not only secures the border, but that secures the interior of the United states as well.
Representative Flores is on the right track. Contact your lawmakers today and tell them that we need an immigration solution like this that will make America safer and help it prosper.
I am praying God will move our elected members of Congress to adopt sensible immigration policies.
Together with President Trump, they can make America even greater!
God bless you and may He continue to bless America.
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