Texas lawmakers approved a bill to create a new Texas Industrial Workforce Apprenticeship grant program. It’s great to see our state lawmakers doing something to help employers find more skilled workers. However, increasing access to training is only part of the solution.
Now, our federal lawmakers need to step up and devise a method for undocumented workers to earn their legal status. Only God knows how many there are, but the number is in the millions just here in Texas. Many are workers that have been receiving “on the job training” for five to ten years or more.
According to the Center for Houston’s Future, more than 25% of Houston’s construction workers are undocumented. Houston contractors are begging for workers now, yet strict enforcement of existing immigration laws would deport a fourth of our workers.
A key goal of the president’s immigration plan is to help employers find workers who have the skills that are most needed. Many of the undocumented workers in Houston have years of on the job training. They have skills that are in high demand. If they had a method to earn their legal status, we could ID and tax them properly.
Sensible immigration policy would secure the border and grow our taxable workforce. As I mentioned last week, a good starting point for Congress to get the ball rolling would be a combination of the president’s immigration plan and the Dream and Promise Act. The House just passed the Dream and Promise Act, but it is expected to be dead on arrival in the Republican Senate.
If lawmakers would simply combine the two, it would amount to a sensible immigration policy that both Democrats and Republicans could be proud of.
Do not give up! Please continue to contact your lawmakers and tell them that you support sensible immigration policy.
May God bless you, and may He continue to bless America.