As a bipartisan group of Senators gears up for an immigration overhaul that includes a path to citizenship, some right-wing lawmakers have started to dismiss such reforms. In an interview with a local news station, Blue Dog conservative congressman John Barrow (D-GA) failed to endorse a path to citizenship and suggested that if we secure the border and then deny jobs and benefits to immigrants, the “problem will take care of itself”:

BARROW: My policy is we need to secure the border, we need to secure the jobs, and we need to secure the benefits. If we do that, the problem will take care of itself.

Watch it:

The congressman did go on to advocate for some sort of agricultural exception, meaning that there would be room for immigrants to work to pick our fruit but not have access to other jobs or even basic benefits.

There is no evidence that an enforcement-only approach would actually resolve the immigration issue. Between 40-45 percent of undocumented immigrants did not even cross the U.S. border — rather, they overstayed their visas.

It is also unclear how denying immigrants jobs and benefits will benefit the country, when immigration is economically beneficial. A Center for American Progress report from 2010 found that comprehensive immigration reform could grow the economy by as much as $1.5 trillion over ten years.