Texas Bill Would Declare that Receiving Benefits is ‘Employment’

State Rep. Tryon Lewis (R-Odessa) has filed a measure which equates receipt of any benefit under a state benefit program to be ‘employment.’ And, since the recipient is receiving ‘employment,’ Lewis says they should have to meet current federal guidelines required of all Americans to receive a job.

His bill would mandate that any recipient of state benefits fill out an I-9 form, which is the standard form all job applicants have to complete to prove that they are citizens or legal residents of the United States.

Lewis’ measure would cover recipients of Aid to Families With Dependent Children, Medicaid, the state’s nutritional assistance programs, or the state’s CHIP health insurance plan for children.

Lewis’ bill is one of several filed in the upcoming session of the Legislature which would crack down on illegal immigration. But unlike most of the other bills, which specifically single out illegal immigrants for denial of state services and funding, Lewis’ bill would use current, existing federal employment law, which would make it much harder for open borders advocates to demonize the measure as ‘racist,’ as happened with Arizona’s crackdown against illegal immigration.