Villalobos: I urge the federal government to explore options for lawful employment for all law-abiding people in the US

As mayor of the City of McAllen, I want to express my sincere gratitude to our federal officials and the current administration for their diligent efforts to secure the southern border. 

Thanks to the administration’s actions, unlawful border crossings are at a ten-year low, and our national security continues to increase.

With that, border cities are once again able to focus on providing high quality of life for our residents and visitors, through promoting arts and culture and bolstering economic development instead of implementing federal immigration policy. Thank you for reclaiming what should have always been a federal issue. 

While I support efforts to continue to secure our borders, it is also my duty to ensure that we provide our communities with every opportunity for success. Therefore, I urge the federal government to explore options for lawful employment for all law-abiding people in the United States. 

Let us not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. There should be pathways to employment now, and let the federal government discuss citizenship later. 

The ambitious goal of large scale economic growth led by significant industrial expansion cannot be met without the human capital and talent necessary to turn a shared vision into a prosperous reality. 

McAllen is a destination city, and will continue to invest in projects that add to its unique position as an economic and cultural hub between the United States and Mexico, Central America and South America. 

McAllen’s binational relationship with Mexico and the visitors who purchase, eat, work and invest in our city remain integral to the region’s long term success and the ability of the United States to attain its goals of growing our economy by attracting substantial corporate investment.

As the federal government stems the flow of unlawful migration, we must not halt the flow of commerce, culture, friendship and hospitality. 

Working together, we can keep this momentous growth of McAllen, our great state of Texas and the United States strong now and into the future. 

A screenshot from the City of McAllen website.

Editor’s Note: The above commentary from McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos first appeared in video format on the City of McAllen’s website.

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