My name is Ken Oliver, and I am senior director of Right on Immigration at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Thank you for this opportunity to testify on SB 1621.
Earlier this year, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released its latest research on expanding and implementing the use of E-Verify in Texas. This paper, titled Toward Achieving a Legal Texas Workforce, concluded that continuing statewide E-Verify expansion and implementation is an important and necessary step as part of the state’s overall effort to limit illegal immigration, the underground economy, and identity fraud. While E-Verify does not solve all of these problems, it is also clear that we will never get them under control without expanding and improving E-Verify at both the state and federal levels.
Border Security
Building a Durable Immigration Enforcement Network with 287(g) Agreements
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently reported a landmark milestone: the 287(g) program now has over 2,500 active Memorandums of Agreement covering 39 states and two U.S. territories. These agreements authorize ICE “to delegate state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight.” This...
September 24, 2026