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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Our nation's immigration system is inefficient and |
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badly flawed, and a complete overhaul is urgently needed to protect |
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our borders and ensure our future economic prosperity; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States Congress last passed major |
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immigration legislation a quarter-century ago; the Immigration |
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Reform and Control Act of 1986 failed to solve the problem of |
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illegal immigration, and subsequent piecemeal attempts at reform |
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have failed to create a rational and effective system; and |
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WHEREAS, Current immigration channels are rigid and |
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cumbersome, and as a consequence, smugglers enjoy a thriving market |
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that puts great pressure on our borders; not only do too many people |
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enter the country illegally, but there is no way to track whether |
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the millions who enter on valid visas actually depart when those |
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visas expire; moreover, employers are burdened by a complicated and |
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inflexible system for verifying the immigration status of potential |
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employees, and unscrupulous employers who recruit and exploit |
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undocumented workers have little fear of punishment; immigration |
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enforcement often targets ordinary workers and their families, |
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diverting resources and personnel from efforts to protect against |
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genuine threats to national security; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, the U.S. economy is inextricably linked to |
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the global economy, and globalization has increased the importance |
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of labor mobility; businesses need to be able to plan for growth as |
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world economic conditions improve, but obsolete immigration |
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policies make it difficult to prepare to compete in the global |
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marketplace; furthermore, while the American workforce has become |
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older and better educated, industries such as agriculture continue |
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to require large numbers of workers able and willing to perform |
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physically demanding jobs; and |
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WHEREAS, Two recent studies, by the Cato Institute and the |
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Center for American Progress with the Immigration Policy Center, |
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indicate that a complete overhaul of our system of immigration |
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would boost the economy by $180 billion or more annually by raising |
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the productivity of immigrant workers and expanding activity |
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throughout the economy; and |
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WHEREAS, A true 21st-century immigration system would focus |
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on both the border and the workplace, establishing smart |
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enforcement policies and safeguards while creating legal |
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immigration channels that are flexible and serve our economic |
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interests; a complete overhaul should address the terms and |
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conditions of admission to and presence in this country, promote |
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the use of reliable and verifiable forms of worker identification, |
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and eliminate country of origin preferences; the violation of |
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immigration laws should be disincentivized, and employers and |
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prospective immigrants who have followed laws and procedures should |
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be rewarded; in addition, this overhaul must protect the rights and |
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equality of all United States citizens, including children; and |
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WHEREAS, Our national interests are poorly served by our |
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broken, embattled, and outdated immigration system, and patchwork |
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attempts to mend its deficiencies will not secure our borders or |
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prepare us to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex global |
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economy; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby urge the United States Congress to swiftly enact a complete |
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overhaul of our system of immigration that promotes our economic |
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prosperity and national security; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |