Workplace Immigration Raids Not a Cure-All
That’s exactly what happened a few years ago in Stillmore, Georgia, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. In 2006, after a raid by immigration agents, a chicken-processing company called Crider Inc. lost three-fourths of its workers. To recruit replacements, Crider raised pay at the plant to $9 an hour and offered free rooms in a company-owned dormitory. Crider even offered some workers free transportation. At first, American employees lined up for the jobs.
But the story didn’t end there. Immigration restrictionists would like to pretend it did, but there was a second chapter. According to the Journal, the plant was soon struggling with retention issues, lower productivity, and disputes over working conditions. Many of the new workers left.
Georgia Southern University professor Debra Sabia told the Journal: “If you gave a survey to Americans and asked them where they’d want to work, a slaughterhouse would not be on the list. These are not jobs we aspire for our children to take.”
She was right on the money. These are not choice jobs. Even in a recession, dairy owners, for instance, say they’re still not being flooded with applications from U.S. workers for jobs milking cows. Yet, choice or not, someone has to do these thankless jobs. And “someone” often turns out to be illegal immigrants.
We cannot condone such activity. That’s why we have to keep raiding businesses and deporting those who break our laws, even if many of them will come back again when the economy improves. But that’s the easy part. It’ll take more than handcuffs and one-way bus trips across the border to get our own people up to snuff and ready to take the kinds of grueling jobs that their parents and grandparents did long ago but that they have spent their whole lives consciously avoiding.
Take it from the grandson of farm workers who makes his living pecking at keyboards and speaking into microphones and television cameras — and who has the soft hands to prove it.
If you gave a survey to Mexicans and asked them where they’d want to work, a slaughterhouse would not be on the list?
Ary you saying that Mexicans aspire for their children to take those jobs. I doubt that is their dream job either!
Do you have any proo that the employer provided a good working environmnt for the U.S. workers? Based on the information you provided, it sounds like he wanted near slave labor where dorms and transportation are provided. He would not offer these things if he also offered a wage where the workers could pay to rent or buy their own houses and cars.
“It’ll take more than handcuffs and one-way bus trips across the border to get our own people up to snuff and ready to take the kinds of grueling jobs that their parents and grandparents did long ago but that they have spent their whole lives consciously avoiding.
Take it from the grandson of farm workers who makes his living pecking at keyboards and speaking into microphones and television cameras — and who has the soft hands to prove it.”
RACIST *A*N*D* ELITIST!!!
PJM promotes racism and elitism by publishing tripe from this author IMHO.
“Still, at the end of the day, workplace raids don’t change who we are as a people. Nor do they change our values, our upbringing, and our relationship to work.”
Yes, it takes a certain kind of person to do the dirty work that most Americans are not willing to do.
Politicians that lie, steal, cheat and sell out their constituents; indeed our nation are a must if we are to keep the “system” functioning as designed.
And we can’t forget the employers; large and small whose only value standard is how to make a buck without paying a dime of taxes back into our society.
Without the grime and the human manipulation and the muck and the slop and the goop of both these groups; politicians, police, judges and business / company owners; managers ignoring the law, saying screw the right thing and cooperating to facilitate a continuous; enormous influx of illegal immigrants the entire mess would collapse into a pile made up of it’s own dung in nothing flat.
So, the wisdom of it all is to continue with an ill conceived; evil monster that brings the good people of one nation to bear against the good people of another nation in order to better serve the needs of a few; businesses and politicians that is.
Sooner or later the good people of our nation; seeing the plights and suffering of those of another nation will yield in the interests of what’s right, best and most humane for all of the good people involved..
Our Constitution, our national will, our values, our upbringing, our relationships with God and with those with whom we live and work together won’t be faithfully served, but those intellectually superior, change the world by mangling every child’s brain activists like Mr. Navarrette will be delighted.
Mr. Navarette:
“But the story didn’t end there. Immigration restrictionists would like to pretend it did, but there was a second chapter. According to the Journal, the plant was soon struggling with retention issues, lower productivity, and disputes over working conditions. Many of the new workers left.”
You’re taking a very simplistic view that illegal immigration’s be-all end-all is about the wages.
It isn’t.
Employers like to hire illegals because they work cheap, but also because they will tolerate treatment and working conditions that no American would put up with.
Crider may have begrudgingly coughed up $9.00 hourly to its’ American employees, but if they treated their people like crap, then it’s no wonder that the legal workforce wandered away.
The problem isn’t with the American workers, or the workplace INS/ICE raid that opened these jobs up to them, but with Crider’s management.
Where is it etched into stone that a dirtball employer must stay in business?
It isn’t, and it shouldn’t ever be.
“Take it from the grandson of farm workers who makes his living pecking at keyboards and speaking into microphones and television cameras — and who has the soft hands to prove it.”
Well, take it from the scarred and callused hands of a seaman who is the son and grandson of seamen,and has watched the US fleet reflag to Flags of Convenience with the active connivance of the Federal Government over three lifetimes.
What would it take to convince employers that it’s not in their best interests to hire illegal aliens?
Open season.
IOW Hire a mojado, go to jail.
Declare a Federal bounty on those who hire illegals to encourage enforcement of laws against hiring them. It should work like this – $100,000 for every illegal alien employer successfully prosecuted, paid for by fines on the guilty party. Jail time for false accusations. Implement E-verify so employers have no excuses. Employers sanctioned under existing law.
Self-deportation of unemployable illegal workers to follow. Small rise in the price of lettuce and dip in unemployment numbers, with tax revenue increases. Multiplier effects as millions of American workers spend (and save) their earnings here, as opposed to sending the money to Mexico. Mild decrease in the profitability of some businesses, as they buy safety gear appropriate to employment of American citizens, provide toilets, etc.
When you tolerate contempt for the law, you get more contempt for the law. Ten percent unemployment as far as the eye can see will end this debate with Americans taking jobs Americans won’t do.
Options for illegal immigrants:
Legal option:
1. Deport them
2. Fine employer
Humane option:
1. Research for criminal records (CR)
2. CR positive: deport them
3. CR negative: initiate immigration process
What’s so hard about this?
Illegal immigrants come here because a job in a slaughterhouse is a better opportunity than is available in Mexico, Guatemala, etc. Until that changes, they will continue to come. I would hope that I, as a husband and father, had the cojones to do the same were I in their circumstances.
I believe the open border’s main function is to provide a safety valve so Mexico can avoid dealing with its own structural problems. The people with the spunk to cross the border are the same ones who would press hardest for reform if U.S. jobs were no longer available.
A guest worker program and denial of citizenship to “anchor babies” would improve the situation, but until the illegals have a reason to stay home they will come. But the U.S. demand for drugs foments corruption and chaos south of the border, particularly in border cities like Nuevo Laredo, Juarez and Tiajuana. Unless something changes in the so-called “War on Drugs” Mexico faces a tough road ahead.
Finally a piece on immigration from Mr Navarrette that isn’t total hogwash. One thing to follow up on, however, what about all the other meat processing plants in th US?
I know of several plants that have waiting list of legal applicants. You can cherry pick one example, but the industry as a whole tells a very different story.
Vivo,
Nothing is wrong with this except that you seem to be saying that, if you succeed in getting into this country illegally, then you have earned the privilege of going to the front of the line to get your US citizenship. Other than that, no problems. So I guess we need more humane laws so that when our more humane laws are broken, we can be seen as being more humane? How is this humane to people who try the legal route to US citizenship?
Navarrette is apparently the resident affirmative action writer here.
I’m biased against Navarette and his continuous support of criminal aliens instead of his fellow US Citizens.
He’s actually a thought criminal and when the Hate Law becomes operational I’m going to sue this fraud!
“If employers have to pay higher wages to replace illegal workers, they might indeed attract U.S. workers — for a time.”
Does this mean that these employers are paying less than minimum wage? Hopefully not, but still. Because these jobs suck, are nasty, and otherwise are not something to be proud about, maybe they SHOULD pay more. I wouldn’t mind if the price of chicken went up $1 per pound just to know that American citizens were the ones who processed it.
We must face the facts, here. Illegal immigration of poorly-educated Latinos is a major cause of the decline of California. These folks do not share our values and they do not wish to integrate and become Americans, by and large. They bring their culture and their beliefs and try to impose them upon the real Americans. And then, if we try to preserve our culture and ways of life, we are labelled as racist. How about anti-Latino ProAmerican culturalist? That’s me. I’m not a racist, but I am an American who would like to preserve our inherently superior culture. I don’t want my town turning from Lexington to Mexington.
Some really prescient comments here: “…it sounds like he wanted near slave labor where dorms and transportation are provided. He would not offer these things if he also offered a wage where the workers could pay to rent or buy their own houses and cars.” Exactly. The cheapest labor possible. As long as it’s not called slavery.
Another: “Employers like to hire illegals because they work cheap, but also because they will tolerate treatment and working conditions that no American would put up with.” Bilgeman, once again, hits it on the head. But, sir, would you be willing to pay another dollar or two per pound of chicken or beef? I would…
6. MarkD: “When you tolerate contempt for the law, you get more contempt for the law.” The problem is that “sanctuary cities” are actively promoting contempt for the law. So are Democrats and other idiots. Here’s how I think it should be dealt with: If an illegal is caught, all of his assets are relinquished to the state where he is caught before he is deported. If an illegal is put in jail, he is immediately deported to Mexican authorities and placed in a Mexican jail. If an illegal who does not have medical insurance shows up at an emergency room, his assets are forfeited to the state and he is deported as soon as possible to a Mexican hospital and all expenses not covered by his assets are charged to the Mexican government. It’s not our responsibility to provide medical care to citizens of other nations.
8. Jack Okie: “Illegal immigrants come here because a job in a slaughterhouse is a better opportunity than is available in Mexico, Guatemala, etc.” I don’t exactly understand this with consideration to NAFTA. Shouldn’t they all be happy where they are? Didn’t NAFTA free everything up? Why are the Mexicans still lagging so far behind? I got an answer that Mr. Navarette won’t like: It’s either the culture or the race. It’s that simple…
9. aclay1: “Finally a piece on immigration from Mr Navarrette that isn’t total hogwash.” I’m with you. This is the first article that he’s written here that doesn’t entirely suck.
regards
Mr. Navarrette:
I am pleasantly surprised and want to thank you. While I don’t necessarily agree with all aspects of your piece, I appreciate the change in tone fron previous illegal immigration articles and the lack of name calling of those that may not share your point of view.
A few additional comments:
1) You decide to start with a “straw-man” argument with your title about raids and cure-alls. Who really thinks that workplace illegal immigration raids are a cure-all on it’s own?? E-verify, fines for employers and illegal immigrants, workplace visits, less byzantine immigration process for LEGAL immigrants, etc, are all part of an OVERALL CURE-ALL.
2) You may want to link to a “myth” that is more updated than 1996. I would think that the annual inflow from all illegal immigrants (whether they overstayed visas or came North) is more than 300,000.
3) You pick one plant, but don’t provide full information. Was there a retention problem before the immigration raid? Did working conditions get better after the raid or did management let them slip?
4) If you believe that the working conditions are not good enough for Americans, why would you want illegal immigrants to be subjected to sub-standard conditions?
Again, no insults or name calling is a good idea.
7. vivo:
“Options for illegal immigrants:
Legal option:
1. Deport them
2. Fine employer
Humane option:
1. Research for criminal records (CR)
2. CR positive: deport them
3. CR negative: initiate immigration process
What’s so hard about this?”
Judging EVERYONE by the same standard, what’s so hard about that?
10. Jim Baker:
14. Inrptrn:
“How is this humane to people who try the legal route to US citizenship?”
It can be a difficult dilemma. But illegal immigration doesn’t interfere with legal immigration. One goes through the holes and the other one follows a process. I don’t support illegal immigration, but you can’t just throw 12+ million people out. Call me wrong, but call me humane.
RKV has it correct.
All employers in the US are currently required to collect and keep on file an I-9 form (proof of permission to work in the US) for ALL employees. Make the enforcement against the employers NOT the illegal immigrants. Institute very heavy fines against the companies or even threat of jail time against the employers. Why do these raids happen and there are no consequences for the employers? When it becomes more expensive to risk hiring illegal employees than it is to raise the wages and improve working conditions sufficiently to attract legal employees, the companies will comply with the law. The jobs will only be offered to legal workers. The illegal immigrants will go home.
Yes, wages and costs of doing business will go up which will cause prices to go up. But then the artificial skewing of implementing a minimum wage will become unnecessary. Supply and demand will balance out the wages at a higher level. The unfettered market place works. If the supply of workers is still too low to fulfill all requirements and the wages appear to be going up above what is good for the economy (as indicated by inflationary pressures), the government can open up a TEMPORARY worker program to more workers. If the enforcement of laws against employers is maintained, the temporary employees will go home after expiration of their work visas because there are no jobs available to them.
Illegal aliens are difficult to find and the government is accused of racial profiling. Employers are easy to find and there will be no accusations of racial profiling as the policy is the same for all employers. Collect and maintain the I-9 forms along with copies of the documents which validate an individual’s right to work in the US or face very heavy fines and/or jail time.
So if we need workers in specific fields..why does that mean we need mass immigration? If we need someone to help pick apples in Yakima Valley..why does that translate into the workers extended family
his wife, his 5 kids, his grandparents, his cousins
who end up in some barrio in Southern California unemployed, living on welfare, subsidized housing, and “free” education and medical via the local emergency room?
Hmm?
ehunter,
Spread the poverty:
It’s the Amerikan/Marxist way.
What syllable in ‘illegal’ is giving you a hard time?
E-Verify should be on the national agenda to countermand any illegal alien infiltration into the working environment. Whatever needs to done should take priority to remove the unauthorized labor in our jobless nation. More funding, more modifications until the illegal immigrant fraudulent use of documentation becomes a thing of the past. Using whatever technical programming that is available, to make it’s operation inadvisable? Any database including state criminal, FBI, Social Security, Homeland Security, and any other means possible. Ultimately the final version would contribute photo verification, national ID system with biometric data which has been recommended by the Brooking’s Institute and Duke University MIT. Supposedly small employers who don’t operate computers should have common access in such locations as Post Offices or other approachable government building to identify the workers they are hiring.
There should be no excuse to not install a nationwide mandatory system of worker identification. My suggestion is that–ALL-I-9′s should be copied and a duplicates sent to a Homeland Security Clearing House? Creating such an office would be a simple affair, if our state and federal government would be more beneficial to the working American male and female. If our government is sincere in securing our borders, and introducing new immigration enforcement tools, then E-Verify will become the final deterrent and not be weakened by Sen Harry Reid and his administration. I have made a point of speaking to a few business human resources departments, and found most are enthusiastic about the use of Verify. Only 1 of the 6 companies that I investigated determined some false negatives” and “false positives. But they always have a backup system of contacting the Social Security agency nearest to them, until the irregularities are resolved.
All that remains is citizens and legal residents to stop the Obama people from throwing a wrench in the cogs and stopping any technological advancement with E-Verify. E-Verify can be used on a universal level in checking bogus drivers license applications, auto insurance, home purchase, health care and other personal data. It would certainly alleviate the kidnapping of social service programs by the 20 to 30 illegal immigrants in America. It would displace foreign nationals so down-trodden legal single mums with children, homeless vets, senior citizens and even students could get employment. It all depends on all of us to contact our Representative in Washington at 202-224-3121. Tell them you don’t want half measures by full permanent implementation? NO MORE DRAGGING THEIR FEET? Tell them your remember them on next election day. YOU ALSO WANT AN END TO ANOTHER AMNESTY.
Don’t let them distract you, but repeat your demands without hesitation to these open border jerks. Invest a little time and check what your politicians are doing to our immigration enforcement safeguard at NUMBERSUSA. Read about the consequences of future OVERPOPULATION at WEBCAPS and our collapsing infrastructure, that has been ignored for decades nationwide. Last read factual information at JUDICIAL WATCH that discloses the lawmakers, that are running the country for themselves, friends and business associates. ITS ALL FREE. Read that some of the White House Czars are not true Democrats, but are shadowed by their past Liberal Marxist backgrounds.