Immigration reform: Let the states lead the way

*An interesting proposition. If we’re going to reform immigration, why not let the states try it individually? The idea is that if California needs tech workers and Texas needs ag workers, let them fill their needs. On the other hand, it could open the gates for more and nastier state anti-immigration legislation. VL

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By Alex Nowraseth, Cato Institute/Los Angeles Times

[tweet_dis]Texas and California are trying to reform legal migration on their own.[/tweet_dis] The politics in these two states couldn’t be more different, but legislators in both states recently proposed running their own guest-worker visa programs to get around the federal immigration reform gridlock. Relying on states to create their own migration systems may well be the solution to America’s immigration woes.

[pullquote][tweet_dis]States experiment with education, welfare and drug policies — immigration should be next.[/tweet_dis][/pullquote]

One-size-fits-all national immigration laws aren’t working. Federal reform efforts have repeatedly failed, so why not let states take a crack at it? States experiment with education, welfare and drug policies — immigration should be next.

California might create a state visa for high-tech workers and agricultural laborers, while Texas might create visas for agriculture, construction and high tech. Michigan could create one for real estate investors in Detroit. [pullquote]There could be hundreds of different visas all tuned to local economic demands[/pullquote] There could be hundreds of different visas all tuned to local economic demands rather than just one or two temporary federal visas forced to fit the needs of the entire U.S. economy.

Texas and California could be the first to succeed with pilot programs.

Click HERE to read the full story.

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[Photo by Bread for the World/Flickr]

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