When Political Theatrics End, Successful Policy Begins

Written by Javier Palomarez, this article was originally published on Real Clear Policy and can be found here.

Right now, our immigration system is broken - ungodly backlogs, historic influxes, and poor policy have undoubtedly led us to this place. We’ve created a system where it’s more efficient to enter the country by actually getting caught crossing illegally, than it is to wait for approval through legal avenues. We must establish stronger measures to discourage those who attempt to skip the line when it comes to entering the United States. The mass influx of those crossing the border continues to exacerbate local, state, and federal resources. The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) reported over 2.7 million enforcement actions in fiscal year 2022, an alarming increase over the previous fiscal year's number of 1.96 million crossings. Adding insult to injury, there have been roughly 600,000 additional reported ‘gotaways’, or migrants that completely evaded authorities in 2022.

Year over year growth is averaging a staggering 40%. If we continue at this rate, we will reach roughly 5 million illegal border crossings by the end of this fiscal year, which is equivalent to adding the combined population of Rhode Island, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming. The looming expiration of Title 42 raises a red flag - our system is simply unequipped for what could come, and Washington needs to find a long-term solution.

Furthermore, the U.S. Immigration Services has reported a backlog of over 1.5 million work visa applications as of this year. While mass migration waves persist, these migrants are stuck in limbo as they have no way to legally work and contribute to our economy. However, when we look at the condition of the U.S. labor force, there are currently 6 million unemployed, willing-to-work people and roughly 11 million open jobs. If every person available for work in our country got a job—a highly unlikely feat—we would still have 5 million unfilled jobs. Many of these jobs native-born Americans are unable, or unwilling, to do.

The business community believes we should find ways to harness the potential of immigrant communities. But more critically, we need to fix the current crisis that exists in our immigration system and alleviate the financial burden states and local communities have incurred.

As we look to the border communities, it's clear that they are paying the price of Washington’s inability to manage the border crisis. As local and state governments continue to feel a financial strain, taxpayer dollars are being diverted to address immediate needs.

We need our elected officials in Washington to reach across the aisle and work together on effective policy. The Bipartisan Border Solutions Act of 2021, led in the Senate by Republican Senator John Cornyn and in the House by Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar, has garnered support from both parties and multiple regional and national organizations. While this legislation is not the panacea some may have hoped for, it offers a step in the right direction while addressing the most crucial and pressing challenges we are facing at the border. The legislation includes increasing the number of processing centers, creating efficiencies for those seeking asylum, hiring additional support at all levels in the system, and better protections and oversight for unaccompanied minors.

I commend Senator Cornyn and Congressman Cuellar, for their willingness to put partisan politics aside and work together for the good of the people of Texas and all Americans.

Javier Palomarez is the President & CEO of the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC). Prior to his current role, Palomarez led the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where he helped raise the profile of the chamber through media appearances, strong partnerships with the country’s largest corporations and the promotion of the organization as a leading advocacy group for American small business and the Hispanic community in general.