A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) suggests a novel approach to address undocumented immigration: leveraging "snitches" to curtail employment opportunities for those lacking legal status. The proposal advocates a modification to the tax code, enabling citizens to sue businesses that hire undocumented workers, thereby compelling compliance with E-Verify and theoretically prompting self-deportation.
Authored by Ajay Gupta, the CIS report acknowledges the Trump administration's enforcement actions but contends that traditional deportation methods will have limited impact. Gupta argues that stricter enforcement of hiring laws is necessary to address the large undocumented population effectively. The report draws parallels to Britain's 19th-century strategy to eliminate child labor, which successfully leveraged private enforcement of labor laws despite limited resources.
The proposed system would impose a substantial tax penalty on entities paying for services rendered by undocumented individuals, with private citizens empowered to sue for collection of this tax. The report posits that the widespread potential for such lawsuits, compared to the less frequent occurrence of government action, would incentivize employers to adopt E-Verify, a free online tool for verifying work authorization. This, in turn, would significantly restrict employment prospects for undocumented individuals, potentially encouraging them to leave the country voluntarily.
This concept of encouraging self-deportation is not entirely new. Former Senator Mitt Romney championed a similar measure during his 2012 presidential campaign, suggesting that individuals unable to secure employment due to their immigration status would choose to return home. While Romney's proposal faced criticism at the time, including from then-businessman Donald Trump, it also garnered support from prominent figures like Senator Marco Rubio.
The CIS report suggests that a renewed effort to promote self-deportation could be achieved by amending existing tax law through budget reconciliation, potentially circumventing Democratic opposition. The report concludes that if Republican lawmakers fail to pursue this legislative action, their constituents might reasonably infer that they prioritize avoiding burdens on employers over addressing undocumented immigration.
