Are Immigration Laws About to Change?


American agricultural leaders are pushing for reforms to current immigration laws. The constant stream of unauthorized Mexican workers across the U.S.-Mexico border has been a source of contention for a long time, but farmers now face the repercussions of a labor shortage caused by tightened border security.

As an example, one olive growers’ association estimates that 10 per cent of last year’s crop died on the tree in part because there weren’t enough pickers. Other farmers are feeling the pinch as the workers who provide our cheap food languish behind bars.

The bill, which has passed through the House and is now facing a vote in the Senate, would confer “conditional nonimmigrant status” to select individuals. The measure has opponents on both sides of the aisle: Democrats feel it does too little, Republicans that it does too much.

Our agricultural economy depends on underpaid Mexican immigrants. When Border Patrol tightens control, farmers lose the workers who handle their crops. But a protected status would create expenses that taxpayers would have to fund. The current bill, which probably isn’t the best solution, recognizes that something needs to be done to acknowledge this symbiotic relationship.



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March 18th, 2006
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
jesus
Posted on:
March 19, 2006 at 3:37 pm

Lend a hand to your fellow man
Dont punish humanity with rules and laws that prevent the development of the individual potential of mankind

Bring about the understanding of the need for harmony between the diferent races and cultures

Don’t put a number on a person we are all sensetive and emotional humans in need of understanding and forgivness

Under god’s ever watchfull eye they is no such thing as a ilegal person

Share and extend goodwill upon all

Peace on earth and the skys above

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Derrick Schneider
Posted on:
March 21, 2006 at 7:49 am

jesus,

I wish we could get to that point, but currently decisions are based on the realities of business and politics.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
ExtraMSG
Posted on:
March 28, 2006 at 8:26 am

You like to add in the “underpaid” qualifier. If they’re so underpaid, why do they go through so much trouble to get here and take the jobs? Underpaid relative to what?

Second, I think it’s much more complex than Democrats being on one side and Republicans on the other. This is a very mixed issue and has more to do with what interest lie in whose state. Agricultural and many business interests want the immigrants because they provide low cost labor, labor that largely can’t be gotten from non-immigrants. African-Americans often see these immigrants as competitors, both for jobs in places like New Orleans, but also for political capital as the new minorities. Unions can be torn. On the one hand, the immigrants could be new blood for their movements. On the other, they compete directly with current union employees quite often. Then again, without this low cost labor, many businesses that could might move to where the immigrants emigrate from. Some states like California are more highly burdened with the social ills of masses of immigrant poor. Other states, such as Texas, have been better able to welcome them. Ideologically liberal Democrats and libertarian Republicans may see allowing these immigrants into the country as the right thing to do, while right-wing, nationalist Republicans and left-wing, labor-oriented Democrats may think that it hurts the country and its people. Etc.

This is probably one of the issues to least fall straight down party lines to come along in a while.