I agree.
Plentiful cheap labor enables employers to keep wages low. That hurts low skill American workers who have to accept low wages to undercut illegals to get jobs. It also retards innovation. Employers with large pools of cheap labor don't have to find new, innovative, efficient, competitive ways to produce goods and services at low prices. They stay in business by paying their workers peanuts. Studies that have been done, I believe in Australia, prove this. Think of countries with large pools of cheap, relatively uneducated labor--they're not at the forefront of innovative economic powers.
we've tried to explain that to the free trade crowd here on FR for years - they are totally deaf to it. the only reason why someone hasn't invested to invent lettuce picking machines, is because migrant farm workers are available for ultra low wages. and its the same in the technology industry - there will be less investment in software automation and natural language call centers, because programmers are available in India for $30K, and call center jockeys for $20K.
bttt