Gov. Rick Perry on Dec. 3 ordered state agencies to check the employment eligibility of current and prospective employees by using E-Verify, an Internet-based system that allows employers to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.
Perry also urged Congress to pass legislation “to provide the resources necessary to secure our southern border.” Perry’s announcements come in the wake of President Obama’s executive action on immigration on Nov. 20. At the time, in a national broadcast, Obama said he would take various actions because of the protracted unwillingness of Congress to pass an immigration reform bill that addresses the legal status of millions of undocumented workers employed in Texas and other states by American business owners. A White House news release lists three elements of the president’s executive actions:
1. Cracking down on illegal immigration at the border to increase the chances that anyone attempting to cross illegally will be caught and sent back; continuing the surge of resources that effectively reduced the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border illegally last summer; and centralizing border security command-and-control.
2. Deporting felons, not families to focus on the deportation of people who threaten national security and public safety; and directing immigration enforcement to place anyone suspected of terrorism, violent criminals, gang members and recent border crossers at the top of the deportation priority list.
3. Accountability through criminal background checks and taxes, to hold accountable those undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for more than five years and are parents of U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents.
Meanwhile, Perry said, “It’s clear now more than ever that Congress must finally pass a bill that dedicates the necessary resources to securing our border, once and for all. Without border security, immigration reform is a fruitless exercise.”
Ed Sterling works for the Texas Press Association and follows the Legislature for the organization.
