What Can States Do About Illegal Immigration

A staggering 1169 bills and resolutions related to immigration or immigrants have been introduced in State legislatures in 2007. Krikorian at NR Notes:

State activity: Attrition is starting to work in Arkansas. Nebraska legislature moves forward on tax penalties for companies that hire illegals. Gov. Barbour of Mississippi expected to sign bill requiring employers to use the federal E-Verify system. A roundup of other state action.

Minnesota - House Minority Leader Marty Seifert wants the state to punish cities that don't check immigration status by taking away state funding. It failed to pass by one vote recently.

So what can a state like Texas do about illegal immigration? Some ideas:
1. Make certifications as to whether borders are secure or not.
2. Forbid state contractors from hiring illegals.
3. Put tax penalties for companies that hire illegals.
4. Require employers to use the federal E-Verify system, i.e., mandates every employer in the state to participate in the Basic Pilot Program.
5. Allow state troopers to enforce immigration law. Push for inclusion in the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement's 287(g) program. The program, named after the section of law it occupies, allows local and state police officers to perform immigration checks and take part in operations in the field.
6. Check the immigration status of every person in the criminal justice system. (Consider the participation in such program at the Travis county jail.)
7. Cut state funding to cities that are 'sanctuary cities' that do not enforce immigration law and allow flagrant violations of it.
8. Require government agencies to verify that those seeking benefits, such as unemployment compensation, be legal U.S. residents. Require verification of legal status for receipt of public benefits.
9. Restrict drivers licenses to legal residents and citizens only; require legal residency check for those seeking a drivers license. Require the expiration date for drivers licenses to be no later than legal visa expiration date if any.
10. Repeal the state law allowing illegal immigrants to attend college at in-state tuition rates. Mandate that a determination of the immigration status of persons be complete before they may participate in educational programs. This should include K-12 so that it is known, even though such children have a right (by Supreme Court ruling) to such education, how many illegal immigrants are in the education system.
11. Implement voter picture ID rules and make immigration status and residency check a part of voter registration.
12. Increase penalties for identity theft. Add penalties for false documents.
13. A Texas bill would prohibit inquiring into the immigration status of a patient in the context of emergency treatment. On the contrary, a bill should require collection of such status information to understand the impact and cost of illegal immigrants using such services.
14. Add criminal penalties for human trafficking and funding to better secure the border and eliminate border drug trafficking and human trafficking.
15. Restrict granting of business and professional licenses to citizens and legal immigrants and establish documents that are acceptable proof of identity.
16. More funding for border security and support Federal programs for "zero tolerance" of border crossing and 'catch and return' of criminal aliens.