In 2011, Alabama passed a tough immigration law that it hoped would inspire other states in the region to take similar measures to curb the employment of undocumented workers. However, since farming positions subsequently went unfilled, crops sat unpicked and some businesses suffered, many Americans have begun to look to Alabama's policy as a blueprint for what not to do.

As a result, business owners in Kansas are petitioning lawmakers in their home state to stop a law drafted by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who helped create similar laws in Alabama and Arizona, that would crack down on the employment of illegal immigrants. Instead, this group is proposing that legislators work on transitioning these workers toward hard-to-fill positions in the private sector.

The proposed program would create a pool of illegal immigrant workers that business owners could select from in order to address labor shortages, according to reports. Proponents of this proposal envision that the state would then request that the federal government allow these individuals to continue to reside in the United States despite the fact that they don't possess the necessary documentation.

While immigration law experts say that it's unlikely that the kind of proposal suggested by Kansas business owners would be lawful, some are lauding the idea for its out-of-the-box approach.

"Maybe it's a good thing to have a counterbalance to Kris Kobach," Wendy Sefsaf, spokeswoman for the Washington-based Immigration Policy Council, told The Huffington Post.

Even though the proposal's passage is unlikely, its publicity does signal a change in the approach states are taking toward their illegal immigration concerns. However, for now, workers who want to lawfully work in the Texas still need to rely on an immigration law office that can help them navigate the necessary paperwork as well as any challenges that may arise accordingly.

Garcia, Ramirez, Gonzalez and Pina offer professional in-person legal consultation in the McAllen, Harlingen, Corpus Christi, Houston and San Antonio metropolitan areas, and can be reached by interested individuals in other Texas locations by phone.