You're watching...
Attorney Alberto Cardenas, National Immigration Forum Executive Director Ali Noorani and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach on a bill in Kansas tha...
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
Some state lawmakers in Kansas tonight are pushing a new -- there that would allow illegal immigrants to work.
In the state legal in the dobbs form tonight we're taking up the issue of illegal immigration in some real solutions to the problems facing this country.
We're joined now by Chris -- back the Kansas secretary of state.
Co author of numerous state and by illegal immigration laws also with a celebratory part of this junior attorney who serves as counsel to business interest affected by immigration laws.
Former General Counsel to senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson -- -- -- executive director of the national immigration forum.
Chris I think our focus on Kansas demands -- turn to you first.
One of the world's going on there this looks like a rupture between.
Various factions of the Republican Party in Kansas to permit.
Illegal immigrants to work there.
Well the the bill that the Kansas legislature was looking at to this week.
That was basically an attempt to create a state level amnesty.
You know I think -- it's a lot of fuss about something that's not gonna happen it's a legal impossibility and it's political fantasy in Kansas is a very conservative House of Representatives and they're not gonna vote for a state level amnesty even if that were possible under the law and it's and it's not I mean you -- try to do something like this and even the Obama administration Justice Department had to concede to you -- Well you guys can't really do this.
But I think what it does illustrate.
Is that there are some business groups in this country.
Who are so dependent on illegal labor that they'll come.
In a -- they'll just talked to legislatures are yet we want to hire the illegal aliens were not so concerned about that 95000 kansans are out of work.
All -- -- do you know any such business groups that would.
There's such a thing.
Well I think the business groups like the Kansas chamber of commerce they're looking at a place like Alabama where you know law that Chris father has now result in an eleven billion dollar hit.
On the Alabama economy that -- wanna see Kansas follow that that path and the state of Kansas you've seen unemployment rate dropped.
I'm over the last few months they're less than 45000 undocking worked -- by Kansas Kansas.
Drop.
Over last few months in Kansas in fact it's up three well it's down three points below the national unemployment average so Kansas employers thing you know what this makes sense.
We have to we want to make a profit these -- workers who.
Are doing work and we need we need a rational solution in this this seems to make sense what about the -- -- not just dismissing longer.
But and they're looking for a law to actually serve the Kansas needs and Harry -- economic growth.
But I think -- up.
-- -- clearly not working in the legislature has its purview to be able to have hearings on legislation from an array of issues I'm glad that they're doing so.
I'm not a -- and I I defer to Chris on this and -- what could occur but.
Let me get to the point here which is businesses aren't looking for illegal immigrant labor they're looking for labor.
We need to labor in order to sustain our economic growth to grow it further than where it is.
And -- get us out of this unemployment ruckus that we're in.
And there are certain sectors of our economy that really need a workforce.
And in many cases they don't have one and that's why we've gotten immigration.
-- -- -- immigration solution I I'm struggling a little bit to find out where those areas are.
For example you mentioned Alabama -- And they have the sharpest decline in unemployment in this country from September.
-- for over three three month period.
Dropping by just about to full percentage -- So when you look actually look very closely at that data you see the number of people actually applying for unemployment.
Coming going down so that the measure of people actually in the workforce -- what's coming down.
That's why that the rate itself is dropping.
Then and I thin and now we have in the fact none of that helps the fact is better Alabama.
We have seen -- of eleven billion dollar hit on the economy we've seen businesses growers and others saying you know this is the wrong direction for the state of Alabama.
And there and -- obviously don't -- -- in that direction.
Chris you gotta you gotta cover Kansas and Alabama -- -- You can see if you can see exactly what's happening Alabama if you drill down and look at -- county by county so take Marshall county for example the kind that has.
Huge concentration of poultry packing and by all accounts the highest concentration illegal aliens.
What happened after they pass that law is there's a lot of people who just illegally always left the county.
And that caused unemployment dropped almost 2% over a four month period in Marshall county and 900 US citizen predominately US citizen families.
Then apply for those jobs that have been held by illegal aliens so those -- people who came off the welfare rolls.
And got those jobs in it was -- and widely reported so we can see that it it it produces jobs for US citizens would be illegal aliens self deport.
By the way who may be of any race or ethnicity we should point out absolutely.
Los Angeles mayor Antonio -- -- Is the new chair of the democratic party's national convention.
And at the same time Republicans are demanding.
That Jim Messina.
The campaign manager for the president apologize -- -- mentioned Latinos in -- -- is in the same tweet.
How offended should everybody be about this and why does that the Republicans are taking the lead on this.
I think at the end of the day you know people who are going to the polls in the primary states they wanna see where the candidates are on the issue of immigration policy and -- -- -- rational.
Policies solution that serves the nation's interest that is going to be a deciding factor not you know answer about -- -- goes on various.
Various types of cuisine -- the Obama administration is going to be indeed difficulty then don't you think battle because.
It's set the standard for deportations.
And -- refuse to fulfill its promise.
This president's promise to pass.
Quote -- Comprehensive immigration reform.
He seems to be in a very serious trouble than reflecting an -- You know.
We don't look to our politicians to tell us what we want to hear we want to see solutions that we have not seen a solution yet from this congress both parties or the president.
I hope my blood by prayer is that we could get their some day.
But you're right where -- we've got to look at.
The idea of immigration reform being a solution that we work toward.
With both parties president one party can't take all the blame one party can't get all the credit this is why we're at a -- -- try to go they're gonna shirt yeah.
We're we're gonna try our best and I think I've got applaud you for doing that but let me also speak to the greater issue which is.
Hispanic voters in general we're not looking at a one issue campaign here we're looking at the economy we're looking at taxes we're looking at economic growth we're looking at trade.
There's an array of issues when we go to the polls and it's more than what a spokesperson says -- what mayor becomes the chairman of one political party's convention.
We're gonna give you the last rebuttal thanks so much we appreciate it Chris thank you for being -- this sort of thing.
