The Farm Worker Myth
In recent years, ripening crops regularly are accompanied by stories suggesting we need illegal immigrant labor to bring in the harvest. For example, on July 20, 2007, a Wall Street Journal editorial entitled “Immigration Non-Harvest,” breathlessly began with this paragraph:
“Peak harvest season is approaching in much of the country, and the biggest issue on the minds of many growers isn’t the weather but how in the world they’ll get their crops from the vine or off the tree. Thanks to Congress’s immigration failure, farmers nationwide are facing their most serious labor shortage in years.”
Visions of crops rotting in the fields make for vivid journalism. But in September, 2007 a Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report for Congress (updated from a 2004 version) entitled “Farm Labor Shortages and Immigration Policy,” found little cause to worry about crops ripening and spoiling, stating that,
“Trends in the agricultural labor market generally do not suggest the existence of a nationwide shortage of domestically available farm workers…Employment on farms did not show the same upward trend as other industries during the 1990s expansion. While nonfarm jobs generally have risen thus far in the current decade, farm jobs generally have fallen. The length of time hired farm workers are employed has changed little or decreased over the years. Their unemployment rate has varied little and remains well above the U.S. average, and underemployment among farm workers also remains substantial. These agricultural employees earn about 50 cents for every dollar paid to other employees in the private sector.”
Any significant shortage of farm workers ought to have been reflected in an increase in their wages, according to the law of supply and demand. But, from 2001 to 2006, the ratio of hourly field worker wages (those engaged in planting, rending and harvesting crops) to private nonfarm worker wages maintained a constant 0.54 for six consecutive years. That doesn’t preclude the existence of temporary spot shortages, but it does argue against a systemic shortage of farm workers.
[A 2007 study written by Philip Martin, a professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of California, Davis, for the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) entitled "Farm Labor shortages: How Real? What Response" further substantiated the conclusions of the CRS Report, and, consequently, challenges the premise of the WSJ editorial.]
Busting The Myth Across Industries
Employment statistics invariably lag behind the calendar. A March 2006 CIS study of the top 22 occupations in 2005 indicated that in no occupational category did immigrant employees outnumber native employees. In other words, native-born U.S. workers are already doing jobs where high concentrations of illegal immigrant are also employed. The largest share of immigrant employees was 44.7%, and the category was “Farming, fishing and forestry.” The largest raw number of immigrant employees was in “Construction and extraction” where 2,209,000 immigrants (26.1% of the total labor force) were outnumbered by 6,250,000 native employees.
A deeper examination into statistics that focuses on less-educated workers (high school degree or less) indicates a higher concentration among immigrant employees. In “Farming, fishing and forestry,” less-educated immigrants outnumber natives 364,000 to 338,000. But, there were an estimated 56,000 unemployed (14.2%) native workers in that category. In construction, native unemployment was 12.1% with 577,000 unemployed native workers.
The point: low-skilled illegal immigrant workers are wage leveraging native workers out of the occupational categories typically cited by perpetuators of the myth. The job categories include, but not limited to: farm workers, construction laborers, cleaning and maintenance providers, and food preparers. Here’s one example of that wage-leveraging impact from the Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR):
“In Los Angeles, unionized black janitors had been earning $12 an hour, with benefits. But with the advent of subcontractors who compose roaming crews of Mexican and El Salvadoran laborers, the pay dropped to the minimum wage of $3.35 per hour. Within two years, the unionized crews had all been displaced by the foreign ones, and without any other skills, most of the native workforce did not find new work.”
The myth becomes truth if amended to read: Illegal immigrants accept jobs that American workers won’t do for poverty level wages and no benefits (including healthcare).
The Truth Behind The Myth
Some conspiracy theorists claim that an open borders policy aims to create poverty in the U.S. while relieving poverty in Mexico as part of a grand scheme to eventually unite the two countries into one, minimally in the style of a European Union. The truth, though, is alluded to in a December 2006 “Special Report” entitled “Undocumented Immigrants In Texas: A financial Analysis of the Impact to the State Budget and Economy,” released by Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Strayhorn, the mother of President George W. Bush’s former press secretary, Scott McClellan, and an unsuccessful opponent of Texas Governor Rick Perry in the last election, offered this summary of her study:
“The absence of the estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants in Texas in fiscal 2005 would have been a loss to our gross state product of $17.7 billion. Undocumented immigrants produced $1.58 billion in state revenues, which exceeded the $1.16 billion in state services they received. However, local governments bore the burden of $1.44 billion in uncompensated health care costs and local law enforcement costs not paid for by the state.”
In other words, sure there are costs involved in hiring “undocumented workers.” But, forget the laws against illegal immigration and employing illegal immigrants, say some. The benefits are good for the Texas economy and outweigh the costs.
Two famous, now deceased, Americans warned us against uncontrolled immigration. Barbara Jordan, Chair of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, testifying before a Joint Congressional Committee on June 28, 1995, said,
“The Commission recommends the elimination of the admission [as legal immigrants] of unskilled workers. Unless there is another compelling interest, such as in the entry of nuclear families and refugees, it is not in the national interest to admit unskilled workers. Especially when the U.S. economy is showing difficulty in absorbing disadvantaged workers and efforts towards welfare reform indicate that many unskilled Americans will be entering the labor force.”
Jordan’s warnings were ignored, as were the words earlier of the founder and president of the American Federation of Labor, Samuel Gompers, who, in a Letter to Congress in March, 1924, wrote:
“America must not be overwhelmed. Every effort to enact immigration legislation must expect to meet…two hostile forces of considerable strength. One of these is composed of corporation employers who desire to employ physical strength (broad backs) at the lowest possible wage and who prefer a rapidly revolving labor supply at low wages to a regular supply of American wage earners at fair wages. The other is composed of racial groups in the United States who oppose all restrictive legislation because they want the doors left open for an influx of their countrymen regardless of the menace to the people of their adopted country.”
To paraphrase Will Rogers, it’s not the warnings you don’t hear that hurt you; it’s the ones you hear and don’t heed.
Sean Patrick said
Supporters of Immigration Fraud
Civil Society Helps (civilsocietyhelps.org) and attorney Martha J Sullivan help perpetuate fraud against U.S. citizens. See http://www.marthasullivanlaw.com for information about the immigration fraud these kind of groups help facilitate.
With false accusations from an immigrant residency seeker and the help of VAWA laws, a stable American citizen can be reduced to living in poverty. All of your assets can be seized and given to the immigrant residency seeker even if you are not found guilty. You will immediately be forced to surrender a portion of your income to the immigrant residency seeker. The courts will order you to turn your motor vehicle over to the immigrant residency seeker even if the car is in your name and the residency seeker does not have a drivers license. Your illegal immigrant spouse becomes legal and you become illegal. The court system will abuse you and strip you of your rights while social programs that promote immigration fraud thrive.
Attorney Martha J. Sullivan – VAWA and Immigration Advocate
(651) 438-9992
1317 Vermillion St
Hastings, MN 55033
http://www.marthasullivanlaw.com
Civil Society Helps – Immigration Advocates
1st National Bank Building
332 Minnesota St,
Suite E-1436
Saint Paul, MN
55101
Ph: (651)291-0713
Fax: (651)291-2588
http://civilsocietyhelps.org/test/html/
My Immigration Fraud Story
Minnesota caters to illegal immigrants and marriage for U.S. residency scams using VAWA laws. My wife is an immigrant from Guatemala who entered the country on a tourist VISA. Before we married, we had a child together and she received well over $30,000 in free healthcare through the state or county. She overstayed her tourist VISA and returned to Guatemala with our son for 3 months over Christmas and the New Year leaving me in the U.S. to work. She asked for money for liposuction surgery in Guatemala and I gave her funds to travel and to have the liposuction procedure. When she returned, she said we would need to marry for her and the baby to stay in country. We married quickly in the Dakota County court house and the marriage disintegrated from there. I was hesitant about marriage, but I wanted to keep my son in country and tried to build a happy family. However, my wife didn’t enter the marriage in good faith. Her only goal was to acquire U.S. residency and it was a bitter cold relationship.
My wife’s family came to visit for a few months and they continually attempted to provoke confrontations between my wife and I. Ultimately, my wife had to assault me by punching me in the neck to get a defensive verbal response from me. I did not hit my wife back or abuse her in any way. I was arrested by the Eagan Police for 5th Degree Domestic assault and spent 3 days in jail for something I didn’t do and for not leaving my home under duress. Two years to date after we had been in country together, my wife made a fraudulent VAWA complaint to expedite her immigration process in lieu of U.S. residency through marriage.
While I was in jail, my wife cleaned out the joint bank account. When I was released from jail, the courts issued an order for protection. I was broke, homeless and sleeping in my car and under my desk at the office. Shortly after, my wife contacted me and asked for me to write a letter to immigration which stated I was an abusive husband. She said if I wrote the letter in her favor she would work with me to get my home back. Instead of allowing myself to be blackmailed, I wrote immigration to withdrawl my spousal petition for my wife’s U.S. residency and reported all of the facts. I used my last credit card to retain a lawyer to petition for divorce and that was all I could afford. My wife said she was in no hurry to divorce. Being married for two years to acquire conditional residency was a back up plan incase the VAWA complaint to immigration fell through.
The courts later granted my wife all of the marital property before a divorce hearing. They ordered that I surrender a car to my wife that was solely in my name. She demanded $3000 a month in support payments, but inly received a judgement for $1200 a month in child support. During the order for protection hearing, I asked my wife about her employment and academic credentials. She worked as a teacher at a school in Minneapolis called Passport Pals and claimed to have a degree in Psychology. In court and under oath, my wife stated she was a teacher and that she had a degree in Psychology. I challenged her about her academic credentials and she lied with a straight face. I pushed the questioning and she finally admitted to not holding a college degree.
Even though the judge saw that my wife lied under oath, he granted her a one year order for protection. My house recently foreclosed and I am excluded from employment opportunities in my professional field due to having a “criminal” history now. I was charged with 5th degree domestic assault, but I was not found guilty of domestic assault or abuse in a court of law.
A group called Civil Society Helps ( civilsocietyhelps(dot)org ) is now representing my wife and they are still supporting her assault and abuse claims to assist her with expediting her immigration process. They help many immigrant women file false abuse claims under VAWA to assist them with their immigration process. My wife’s pro-bono attorney Martha Sullivan ( Civil Society Helps Attorney) even threatened an order for protection against me in the court house lobby when divorce negotiations broke down. I recorded the entire conversation and her threats were completely unwarranted. During another court hearing, I informed the judge of Martha’s threats and she laughed in an embarrassed manner and said she was afraid of me (complete nonsense).
I lost everything and I am no longer employable in my field by many corporations due to my “criminal” history. I had no previous criminal history at age 36 and I honorably completed 4 years of U.S. Army service.
Last year I earned a very high salary, lived in a house by a lake and enjoyed life as much as I could with a wife that didn’t love me. In 3 days, I was reduced to living in poverty and was homeless for weeks after being released from jail. With all of this going on, I am doing the best I can to pay child support ( ordered to pay $100 a day / $3000 a month) for two children between my first wife of 8 years and my immigrant residency seeking wife of 1 year. Since June 2007, I have paid over $12,000 in child support payments. I have attempted to acquire employment contracts, but have been frequently excluded due to my new criminal history ( 5th degree domestic assault charge – no conviction).
With lies from an immigrant residency seeker and the help of VAWA laws, a stable American citizen can be reduced to living in poverty. All of your assets can be seized and given to the immigrant residency seeker even if you are not found guilty. You will immediately be forced to surrender a portion of your income to the immigrant residency seeker. The courts will order you to turn your motor vehicle over to the immigrant residency seeker even if the car is in your name and the residency seeker does not have a drivers license.
My wife has been confronted by the Eagan Police several times for driving without a license or insurance. On multiple occasions she was just given a warning and she continued to drive my vehicle in Minnesota without a drivers license or insurance.
Later, I spoke with one of the officers that was on scene when I was arrested. Sgt. Mason of the Eagan Police department was going to allow my wife to drive a motor vehicle without a drivers license or insurance while my son was in the car. I called him on it and said it was against the law for anyone to drive a motor vehicle in Minnesota without a license or insurance. Sgt. Mason’s partner threatened to arrest me for public disturbance. I did nothing wrong and she (Sgt. Mason’s partner) threatened to take me back to jail for disorderly conduct…. They backed off with their threat of arrest when I informed them I had a witness looking on….
Immigrants in Minnesota have more rights and free legal services than American Citizens do. VAWA is completely unconstitutional and clearly provides immigrants with loopholes and fast track plans to acquire U.S. residency under fraudulent pretences.
My wife contacted me several times after the Order for Protection was issued. She always called me an “ABUSER” real slow and sarcastically on the phone. Knowing how groups like the civil society work, I can only imagine how they coached and indoctronated my wife into the liberal feminist movement. Martha Sullivan’s order for protection threat was completely uncalled for and demonstrates how this pro-immigration group operates.
Sorry for the rant, but people need to know about these kind of immigration scams. People need to know about the organizations that promote marriage for immigration scams. The courts have violated my rights as an American citizen and I am alienated in my own country. My wife became legal and I became illegal.
Stop Immigration Fraud,
Sean P. Moffett
Law Guy said
It is certainly harder to get a job with good pay for US citizens when people from other countries will work for much less.
Joey said
The trouble is, they’re not just getting paid less because they’re taking a cut in the standard of living. They are going on without taxes, which is why they’re able to work for such low wages, forcing American workers out of jobs. To me, the single most important factor in keeping illegals out is to get rid of the incentives, both tax and social. Unfortunately, some in Congress are wanting to provide subsidized college education to illegal immigrants. Not only is this unfair to American students, but it will also encourage illegals to come here and stay. I found a petition trying to end this, and, as we gain more signatures, money is donated to help the Border Patrol.
http://petitionearth.com/viewpetition.php?id=63
We need to stand strong on an issue which has such strong future implications.
Blackened said
On a side note, illegal immigration is in itself “big business”. I live in South Florida and there is an attorney’s office near my new condo and their sign on the road says “Illegal Immigration Papers”. How is that even possible that they can put that on a sign? How bout a billboard that says “Illegal Drug Smuggling Papers” or “Illegal Presidential Assassination Papers”, how long do you think those would stay up? We have an entire industry catering to illegal aliens.
Sean said
Eagan Police Chief, James McDonald
To: eaganpd@cityofeagan.com
Subject: ATTN Chief of Police – Illegal Immigrants Authorized to Drive in Eagan, Minnesota – No License Required
Hello,
As a courtesy, I am informing the Eagan Police department that I will be in communication with local media in regards to illegal immigrants driving without driver’s licenses. Several Eagan Police department officers did not ticket my wife for driving without a driver’s license after witnessing her driving. Also, Sgt. Mason knew my wife didn’t have a driver’s license. He was going to allow my wife to drive without a driver’s license or insurance after I called the police for assistance. His partner threatened to arrest me for public disturbance just for respectfully challenging his decision. I informed the officers that I had a witness on site and they backed off from their threat of arrest and prevented my wife from driving. However, my wife was not ticketed for driving to the police department without a license. My wife still drives my car to this date. The Eagan Police department can prevent another tragedy by simply enforcing the law and by not allowing illegal immigrants to drive without a license. By not enforcing the law, the Eagan police department has put my son’s life at risk each and every time my wife drives illegally.
Judge Martha Simonett of Dakota County granted my wife a car titled in my name even though I argued it was illegal for my wife to drive without a driver’s license or insurance. My wife illegally drives to almost every court date and still drives to this date. The judgement for the car does not give my wife a green light to drive in Minnesota. Something is wrong in Minnesota. Why is an illegal immigrant allowed to break the law while lawful citizens are stripped of their rights and arrested on accusations alone?
I am still considering civil actions against the Eagan Police department for arresting me for 5th degree domestic assault in the absence of an assault, gender discrimination and negligence. I was not found guilty of assault in a court of law and prosecutor Tom Lehman did not pursue a domestic assault conviction during my criminal proceeding. My wife’s abuse complaints were immigration motivated and she fraudulently used a VAWA immigration loophole to maintain residency at the expense of my well being and reputation.
Disregards,
Sean
Illegal alien van driver arrested in Minnesota schoolbus tragedy
By Michelle Malkin • February 21, 2008 06:25 PM
Authorities have confirmed that the the driver of the van that struck the school bus that killed 4 students on Tuesday is an illegal alien.
Officials at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement are checking to see where she came from and how long she’s been in Minnesota. FOX 9 has also learned that the name she gave to police, Alainiss Morales, is an alias.
23-year-old Alainiss N. Morales was taken into custody on suspicion of criminal vehicular operation. She was arrested by the State Patrol Thursday afternoon and is being held in Lyon County Jail. County Attorney Rick Maes told the Marshall Independent charges could come later Thursday or Friday…The van was driven by Alianiss N. Morales, 23, of Minneota. The Fox 9 Investigator found Morales pleaded guilty in Chippewa County in 2006 to driving without a valid license.
State Patrol officials said Thursday they were not immediately able to confirm if Morales was unlicensed, nor could they confirm whether Morales ran a stop sign. Lt. Mark Peterson said that was still under investigation, but that the investigation was “moving forward very quickly.”
The school bus was carrying 28 students. Cottonwood Fire Chief Dale Louluagie confirmed that 3 fatalities of the crash died immediately upon impact and the fourth victim died around 8 p.m. Tuesday night.
masood said
my brother who travelled from india to USA / georgia on H1B visa worked for a private firm for few years after expiry of his visa he continued to stay as a illegal imm. However he had surrenedered few months ago to authorities and trying for a permanent visa.
He use to call rarely to my parents to inform his wellfare, however for the last one month we did not get any call from my brother, we heared he has been moved to Florida.
In this regard i would like to request, how can I find my brother and his location in florida. What will be his fate will he be deported or given a legal status.
Your help in this regard will be highly apprediated. As my mum is sick worrying for her son.
Look forward for your advise per return mail.
Warn Regards.
Masood.
Email: maood205@gmail.com