The Quote Below—More Misinformation from the Media
“It’s the inconvenient truth Democrats and Republicans have ignored about illegal immigration: Americans might not like immigrants crossing the U.S. border illegally. But we all have grown to love what we can get out them. . . .
“Florida’s new hardline immigration law, which went in-to effect on July 1, was an unprecedented effort to crack down on the hiring of undocumented immigrants. As the Herald reported this week, the law could worsen an existing labor shortage in the state’s agricultural sector, which relies heavily on migrant labor. . . . The law also requires employers with more than 25 workers to use the federal electronic platform E-Verify to determine whether new hires are allowed to work in the country. . . .
“The blame doesn’t rest only with Republicans who have exploited the border crisis and legitimate concerns Americans have about it for political gain. Democrats, too, failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform that offers migrants currently in the country a pathway to legal status. . . .
“You can’t tackle immigration with tough laws that risk hurting crucial industries like agriculture without dealing with the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Republicans can promise to kick out every person in this country illegally — whether it be through Mitt Romney’s self deportation strategy or zero-tolerance policies. . . . [T]hat unfeasible and expensive,. . . .
“The federal H-2A visa program allows farmers to sponsor temporarily farm workers to fill shortages. There’s high demand in Florida for the program, with 32,714 certified H-2A positions in the state in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023, the Herald reported. But the program is costly because employers must pay special wage rates and cover housing and transportation. It’s also ripe with opportunity for to exploit migrants.
“Florida needs migrant workers, many of whom are in the country illegally. This is the uncomfortable truth that Florida’s new law has exposed. The state and the country rely on cheap migrant labor to sustain our way of life. Without comprehensive reform, cracking down on immigrants looking for work and the massive economic engine that employs them makes Florida look tough, but it’s no real solution.” — Florida’s Immigration Law Isn’t Just Cruel. It’s an Awakening to Our Hypocrisy, Editorial Board, Miami Herald, 9/5/23 [Link]
Fact Check of Above Quote: This article suggests that “a pathway to legal status” for all illegal aliens in the country (around 12 million) is a good solution for a lack of farm workers. The Herald editorialists appear to share the misconception that many or most illegal aliens are involved in farm work. The reality is that only about four percent of them work in agriculture. Consequently, legal status for 96 percent of illegals would have no effect on farming at all. And granting it to the remaining four percent probably would encourage them to leave agriculture in search of better opportunities.
We commonly hear that American citizens generally don’t want to do farm labor. That’s true, but it is also true that illegal aliens don’t care much for it either. Given the chance and opportunity, they commonly leave the farms for less demanding work. Thus, a continuing cycle is set in motion. Illegal workers leave, and growers seek more to replace them. Then they leave, and the cycle continues.
The root of the problem is that a lot of farm work is low-paying and physically challenging. But the exceptions are numerous and significant. Over the years, mechanization has taken the drudgery our of some sectors of agriculture. Mechanical cotton harvesters are one example. So, why not solve the problem of too little farm labor by mechanizing more sectors? Today, advances in robotics and other types of automation make these goals increasingly possible.
Unfortunately, availability of illegal alien labor holds back progress. As long as growers have this labor they can avoid the initial costs of mechanizing. Thus, the solution in the long run is to end the supply of illegal labor. One means is to have a law like the Florida statute which encourages illegal aliens to self-deport, slowly but surely. Contrary to this article, it’s quite feasible because it provides an interval for growers to transition to mechanization. Also, assisting the transition could be a temporary and reformed version of the H-2A program. The article claims that H-2A encourages exploitation of workers. Just what does the editorialist think that employment of illegal aliens does?
We don’t need an endless flow of “cheap migrant labor to sustain our way of life.” If we don’t control our border, protect our sovereignty, and uphold our laws, we will lose our way of life.