Go After Texas Employers to Bring DOGE-Like Efficiency to Immigration Raids

The following article was authored by Chris Tomlinson and originally published in the Houston Chronicle. Reprinted with permission.

Memo To Border Czar Tom Homan and Gov. Greg Abbott:

Regarding: Recent raid on Colony Ridge , a low-income housing development northeast of Houston, where law enforcement detained 118 individuals on alleged immigration violations.

To the extent the joint operation captured people either charged or convicted of “criminal sexual conduct, homicide, theft, negligent manslaughter, child sexual abuse, crimes of moral turpitude, weapons offenses and drug offenses,” I offer congratulations. No one wants suspected felons who are flight risks in our community.

We all recognize, though, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have always targeted dangerous criminals. We also know ICE will never meet President Donald Trump’s goal of 1,200 to 1,500 arrests a day by focusing solely on suspected criminals.

Many people detained in Colony Ridge do not have a criminal history. Like those sent to Guantanamo Bay , they were merely caught up in a dragnet.

Along the border, apprehensions are way down as the number of migrant crossings has plummeted. Governor, if you want to keep spending billions of taxpayer dollars on immigration enforcement, it might make sense to redeploy the National Guard troops.

May I suggest additional strategies to reduce the pull factor that encourages innocent people to pay criminals and risk their lives for a longshot chance at a better one? Go after employers who exploit undocumented migrants to boost profits and avoid paying fair wages.

CERAWeek, the massive energy conference in Houston, offers an excellent opportunity. We know hotels and restaurants hire temporary workers with questionable documents during big events. The hospitality industry has relied on undocumented labor for too long.

I’d recommend deploying National Guard troops in a cordon around the hotels on Discovery Green at about 9:30 a.m. on March 10. All the luncheon contract servers and room cleaners will be on site, which is the perfect time for an ICE raid.

Chevron’s CEO Mike Wirth will be on stage with CERAWeek co-founder Daniel Yergin, but I’m sure they won’t mind a little hubbub in the lobby. Everyone will feel comfortable with masked, heavily armed agents in body armor escorting uniformed workers from the buildings, even if their lunch is cold by the time plates reach the tables.

If you really want to make a splash and encourage more migrants to flee the country, launch a simultaneous raid on the SXSW Conference and Festivals in downtown Austin on the same or the following day.

SXSW attendees, however, may be slightly more hostile to ICE operations than the oil and gas executives. Therefore, I recommend sending Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to assure the techies they can trust the plan . Added bonus, agents can review H1B visa holders .

While hospitality companies offer a target-rich environment for apprehending migrants, don’t forget about the construction industry .

Texas’ population is growing quickly, and dozens of residential developments are under construction. David Weekley Homes lists plans to build seven new communities in Conroe, League City, Richmond, Todd Mission and The Woodlands.

Based on my sources in the industry, I’d recommend a raid when framing, roofing or drywall sub-subcontractors are at peak activity. These are the trades most dependent on undocumented labor.

Raiding workplaces offer multiple advantages over sweeps at impoverished neighborhoods. In addition to detaining people who are holding jobs Americans could fill, ICE can levy hefty fines on the employers who create the economic draw for migrants.

The arrests can also reveal a pattern of hiring undocumented workers and establish probable cause for criminal charges against CEOs.

However, taking these steps will require enormous political courage. Arrests at CERAWeek will inconvenience Make America Great Again fans by leaving beds unmade and diminishing food services. Nothing ruins the party vibe like a zip-tied woman sobbing because she doesn’t know when she’ll see her children again.

Governor, you might get an angry call from David Weekley, one of the largest donors to Texas Republicans. While he’s very conservative, he might get upset if you mess with his construction timelines. Texas builders have long lobbied against requirements to use E-Verify for just this reason.

Please resist the urge to focus only on communities that the governor has unfairly vilified as cartel strongholds. He tends to exaggerate . Also, don’t stoop so low as to raid the Poteet Strawberry Festival , that’s an important crop.

Who am I fooling? Y’all don’t have the guts to go after employers or conduct a raid where middle-class Americans might glimpse the cruelty of President Donald Trump’s policies.

Award-winning opinion writer Chris Tomlinson writes commentary about money, politics and life in Texas. Sign up for his “Tomlinson’s Take” newsletter at houstonchronicle.com/tomlinsonnewsletter or expressnews.com/tomlinsonnewsletter .