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U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill (TX) joined Mark Krikorian, the Center’s executive director, for an Immigration Newsmaker conversation discussing U.S. immigration policy, border security, and potential reforms to both legal and illegal immigration systems.
“We’ve had open borders for four years, with an estimated 15 to 20 million illegal immigrants entering the United States,” Gill said. “It’s the biggest political crisis we’ve faced in decades. More fundamentally, immigration touches everything else — it is the one issue that determines who we are as a country and as a people.”
Gill addressed enforcement policy, immigration levels, assimilation, and current political debates on immigration law.
Key Takeaways
Worksite Enforcement and E-Verify
Gill emphasized worksite enforcement as a core component of immigration policy, arguing that job opportunities in the U.S. serve as a major pull factor for illegal immigration.
He called for mandatory use of E-Verify, saying illegal employment undercuts wages for working-class Americans and creates incentives for illegal immigration and allows some industries to operate on what he described as “a lawless employment structure.”
Immigration Policy and Cultural Assimilation
Gill argued that immigration policy should prioritize the interests of American citizens and preserve the country’s distinct culture. He said the U.S. immigration system historically expected newcomers to avoid becoming a public charge and to assimilate culturally, noting that the country may need “several decades” to absorb and assimilate recent arrivals.
Legal Immigration
Gill criticized the current family-based immigration system, which accounts for roughly 60 percent of legal admissions, and employment visa programs such as the H-1B program, arguing they are fraud-ridden and suppress wages.
Welfare Use and Integration Concerns
Gill highlighted welfare usage and English language statistics among Somalis in Minnesota, citing CIS research indicating that 78 percent of Somalis in Minnesota who have been in the U.S. for at least 10 years receive welfare benefits and that roughly half report limited English proficiency.
Policy Debates in Congress
Gill also discussed the upcoming Supreme Court case addressing birthright citizenship and said the case could determine whether the president has authority to reinterpret existing policy or whether legislative or constitutional action would be required. He also credited the Trump administration with significantly improving border enforcement and called for codifying executive actions, including his proposed Remain in Mexico Act, reintroducing H.R. 2, and taking stronger actions against sanctuary jurisdictions, including defunding sanctuary jurisdictions and holding local officials legally liable for crimes committed by illegal immigrants released into communities.
He also reminded listeners that immigration enforcement once enjoyed bipartisan support, but now moderate Democrats who supported enforcement are gone and mass migration has become a central political strategy for the Democratic Party making agreement difficult.
Host
Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director at the Center for Immigration Studies.
Guest
U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill (TX)
Related
Intro Montage
Voices in the opening montage:
- Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
- Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
- President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
- Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
- Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
- Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
- Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
- Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
- Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
- Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
- Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
Mark Krikorian