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National Immigration Forum Executive Director Ali Noorani, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and immigration attorney Alberto Cardenas debate the ...
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Dobbs form tonight we're focusing our ongoing discussion of illegal immigration and some of the concrete solutions to the problem.
On the state of Alabama and of course and this administration.
We're joined and -- McChrystal back to Kansas secretary of state co author of Alabama's anti illegal immigration law.
And I should point -- new father and -- congratulations to you.
-- -- -- -- -- executive director of the national immigration reform -- good to have you with us.
Alberta recover amounts junior attorney who serves as counsel to business interest.
In the great state of Texas those businesses affected by immigration laws also former General Counsel to senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson good to have you with us -- -- -- what's up.
Let's start with Chirac if remain mr.
-- back and that is.
The -- the key provision of the Alabama law have been held.
Up.
During -- challenges by the Justice Department.
What -- -- is your sense.
Is to -- this legislation is headed will it be fully enacted or are we just about where it's going to.
To be at the with the resolution court.
Well -- key provisions are in effect right now the district judge the federal district judge who ruled on the case.
Little over a month ago upheld sustained the law the the most important provisions.
Some additional provisions.
Have been put on hold while the eleventh circuit considers it eleventh circuit US Court of Appeals they're already.
The briefing -- entered for the case I think the case will be decided in the eleventh circuit and I'm pretty confident that the a lot of circuits can uphold the law.
The you know that the protests you were mentioning.
Yeah I think I'm not sure exactly what the political motivation of the protesters -- I'm sure they don't like the law very much but.
The laws working as intended as self deportations have been occurring.
At a very significant rate out of Alabama.
And Marshall county which is when an accounting of the highest concentrations of poultry processing.
And it's estimated that the unemployment rate has dropped point 2% in just a few weeks because.
Illegal aliens are leaving US citizens are lining up outside the plants some cases over two blocks long lines of US citizens.
Trying to get those jobs in and that's really a good thing that that's how it's supposed to work.
-- Iran -- your your response.
Well I when you look at the agricultural industry for example on Alabama and when we hear from farmers.
Who are watching their fruit literally -- on the vine because -- farmworkers are afraid to literally leave their homes.
And if that's the consequence.
If that's the intended consequence of this law well then Chris you are successfully undermining Alabama's agricultural sector.
And as a result I think our country is gonna suffer.
And it and so that's the consequences it's a real economic pain in in Alabama.
How about the response to the idea that the unemployment rate in Alabama and certain places is declining.
And that Alabama decided that it was going to do without illegal immigrant labour that doesn't mean that it would debt and do without migrant labor -- you know all the it doesn't mean that they would suspend B -- Guest worker programs it just means ending illegal immigrant.
-- Well idea I'd be very He chooses see actual date of this cut that's collected over the course a month two months that's really how unemployment rate is.
Is calculate it's not over two weeks and looking at at -- line.
When you look when you talk to employers who are actually working to fill these jobs that's when they're saying you know what.
We've got a labor problem and and the thing about agriculture sector yes three had.
Three quarters of those jobs are -- undocumented workers but also for every farm worker.
It they're creating you know three jobs upstream and downstream from that fruit being picked off the vine.
So it's very short -- just to look at that individual worker without understanding their positive impact.
Let's go to a longer term view and an Internet about -- -- and and and get your thoughts that are.
We need we need -- resolution here.
The people of Alabama apparently satisfied with the law that there are elected officials put into place.
The justice to -- obviously is not.
What is the way forward for us now.
-- the with the way forward Lou and I think Aaliyah and Chris -- my agree with me on this the way forward is to have a uniform standard.
Not to have a patchwork quilt of fifty different solutions but to have uniformity so businesses know who they can hire.
Our legal individuals and workers in this country where needed can be found and can work in those particular jobs.
The best approach is going to be to have that uniform standard that gives us.
So that we know freight employer.
That their work forces legal.
But also look -- humane approach to deal with the rational situation that we have -- -- which is millions of undocumented individuals who some are working.
In a a fashion in this country in jobs that are necessary.
Your response Chris.
Well I don't think it's necessary that either the farmers and Alabama or any other state or or poultry processing -- owners.
Reliant illegal labor of what we see happens every time people self deport or back in the good old days when I sexual -- made work site enforcement rates.
When when the -- illegal alien labor leaves US citizens.
Lineup at the door to take those jobs -- so true sometimes wages have to go up a little bit to get US citizens back.
Interested in those jobs that.
If that's what's gonna happen and in agriculture and Alabama as well and you know -- the adjustment that the market may.
Is this just -- this isn't just agriculture or even though its mission is you yeah Ali pointed out corruption it's a short term another restaurant principal employers.
By percentage of employees.
As illegal immigrants are -- each of you who knows very well.
Leisure and hospitality.
There restaurants landscaping their construction.
-- Well we're gonna go at it we'll let let let's be clear I mean.
America's economy is -- a lot trouble on a lot of people are in a lot of pain.
And we have to fix that we have to put America back to work.
But the way not to do it is to scapegoat immigrants so to move forward we need to make sure that everybody -- here is paying taxes.
Getting legal criminal background check.
And is dead is -- able to get in line for citizenship that levels the playing field so everybody can compete for the for the condition -- getting in line for citizenship.
That is a total non sect with tour to everything that preceded that Dolly but but added this this and we should -- alarm conversation of this -- And we've just lost its Kansas and I wanna poll which -- Crist spoke act go -- -- We should have a lot of our conversation about this because you know citizenship is such a key.
Principle of who we are as a nation and do we really want to create.
An entire class that has no country.
So I think that's that's a really tough question I think we should get into that and in the next summer together.
And that next time will be coming up shortly and we look forward to talking with the Ali thank you very much -- back thank you so much better occurred.
