Immigration a Federal Issue, But Problems Are State's
Speakers testifying at a hearing Wednesday said that although immigration policy might be a federal responsibility, inaction is creating dire problems in the state — from labor shortages that threaten the state's elite standing in the agriculture industry to criminal smuggling operations overrunning private South Texas ranchlands.
The consequences and complexities of the immigration system, and Congress' problems dealing with the issue, came under scrutiny at the meeting of the State Affairs and Border and International Affairs committees. JUAN CASTILLO in the Austin American-Statesman.