Private Lawsuits & E-Verify to Force Illegal Immigrant Exodus

The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) has proposed a plan to force "self-deportations" of illegal immigrants. The proposal suggests a minor amendment to the tax code aimed at punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants by allowing private citizens to sue businesses that do this, forcing them to comply with the E-Verify system and limiting the employment opportunities for migrants.

The proposal, authored by Ajay Gupta, acknowledges President Trump's enforcement efforts but argues the president will be "limited in scope" when it comes to traditional deportation methods, which could be supplemented by forcing many illegal migrants to leave the country voluntarily.

The report cites Britain’s 19th century plan to eradicate child labor as an example of the concept's success, noting that the country was able to force compliance with labor laws even though it was limited by resources and budgetary constraints.

Britain’s effort relied on private enforcement of the law, the report notes, something the U.S. proposal would also do by allowing private citizens to sue employers of illegal immigrants.

According to the report, the result would make it much more difficult for illegal immigrants to obtain employment, which "should induce large numbers of unauthorized aliens to return home."

The CIS proposal is not the first time such an idea has been floated in the U.S. Former Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, advocated for a similar measure during his 2012 bid for president.

Romney’s proposal was widely mocked at the time, including by Trump, who called the idea "maniacal" and "crazy," according to a 2012 NewsMax report.

But Romney’s idea also had high-profile defenders, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who now serves in Trump’s administration as secretary of state.

According to the CIS report, a renewed push for self-deportation could be accomplished by amending current tax law through budget reconciliation, which would only require a simple majority vote in the Senate and potentially bypass Democratic efforts to block the legislation.