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Posted on Apr 14, 2014 in Editorial, Featured, News Releases, Your Texas Agriculture Minute

YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

 

Immigration reform – the true conservative approach

By Gene Hall

Is it conservative to reflexively oppose immigration reform? I think the opposite is true. Estimates have the number of illegal immigrants in the country at about 12 million. How big of a national police force would be needed for surveillance, arrests and deportation of that many people?

A sizable portion of that force would be encamped on the southern border of Texas to stop people who only want decent wages for jobs Americans won’t do. As a conservative, I say, “No thanks.” A several million strong federal police force is not conservative.

A better conservative approach would be to develop a simple and effective guest worker visa program. If you have a carrot, you won’t need a bigger stick. Enforcement can be focused on actual threats, not folks who only want a job.

Republican Senator and possible candidate for President Rand Paul recently said we need to “get beyond” deportation as a solution to this problem.

Immigration reform–it’s a conservative approach to securing our border.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

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