Immigration remains a very important issue for conservatives and Republicans. That’s why it’s surprising that most leading GOP presidential candidates aren’t emphasizing the most effective ways to dramatically cut illegal immigration: mandating the use of E-Verify.
The crisis on our southern border is not surprising to anyone with a basic grasp of economics. Wages for low-skilled work in the United States are booming, and jobs are plentiful. A person in the bottom quarter of the Guatemalan income distribution would earn around 75,280 quetzals a year, roughly $9,600 at current exchange rates. In the United States, someone without a high-school diploma working full time earns $415 a week, or about $21,000 a year. No wonder our borders are jammed.