Illegal workers distort the market; I'm amazed that anyone even casually familiar with econonics doesn't weigh this. The wages paid to illegals do not represent the costs of employing them. The public subsidizes these wages through indigent health care and public school load, along with increased crime rates.
Employment in agriculture as a % of workforce has been moving downward for decades. Illegals are slowing (not reversing) this trend. There's not a job that can't be done by an American, mechanized, or eliminated.
Those who say they are doing jobs "Americans won't do," ignored the article. "Jobs Americans won't do at the pay that is being offered," is factually correct. Mow your own freakin lawns, hire the neighbor kid, and pay market rate for child care.
"The public subsidizes these wages through indigent health care and public school load, along with increased crime rates."
This is the case for any group of low skilled, low paid workers whether they are legal or not. Assuming Americans took the jobs now being done by illegals, these costs would still be there.
The article states that 24% of ag. jobs are filled by illegals. And you imply that if the illegals vanished, then employers would be forced to raise wages to attract Americans to do the work. Perhaps you're right. But we've all heard the stories about jobs in urban areas disappearing because low skilled unemployed were unwilling to work for the wages that employers were capable of paying. We once had theater ushers, sweepers, bag boys, etc. No more.
Well, of course. That's because the minimum wage is set as the floor. But to think raising that floor doesn't distort prices is mistaken; look at teen unemployment. As I understand it, the teen employment rate in 2004 was the lowest since 1948.