[Sleeping Beauty]

When it becomes unprofitable to hire illegal immigrants, the practice will slow and come to a stop.

That's my position, as well.

Here, in California, we could not function without our migrant workers -- especially our farms and ranches that feed America. It's a dilemma.

[CheyennePress]

>>Here, in California, we could not function without our migrant workers — especially our farms and ranches that feed America. It’s a dilemma.<<

There’s no reason those migrant workers need to be here permanently, though. I agree that migrant workers are immensely important to running a farm. I grew up on a farm, and I still help my dad out on his today.

That said, bring them in and have them leave as the harvest comes to a close. There’s a bountiful number of migrant workers. But less than 1% of illegal immigrants are working in agriculture, which is really the only sector where I can think of that we almost need outside labor.

[toddlintown]

“Here, in California, we could not function without our migrant workers — especially our farms and ranches that feed America. It’s a dilemma.”

Only in your head.

[Polybius]

Here, in California, we could not function without our migrant workers -- especially our farms and ranches that feed America. It's a dilemma.

During World War II, there was an agricultural manpower shortage in California too.

The solution was quite simple:

Bracero Program......The Bracero Program was originally a binational temporary contract labor program initiated, in August 1942, by an exchange of diplomatic notes between the United States and Mexico after a series of negotiations. Bracero is Spanish for 'unskilled laborer'. The program was designed initially to bring a few hundred experienced Mexican agricultural laborers to harvest sugar beets in the Stockton, California area but soon spread to cover most of the United States to provide much needed farm workers to agriculture labor market. As an important corollary, the railroad bracero program was independently negotiated to supply U.S. railroads initially with unskilled workers for track maintenance but eventually to cover other unskilled and skilled labor. By 1945, the quota for the agricultural program was more than 50,000 braceros to be employed in U.S. agriculture at any one time, and for the railroad program 75,000. The railroad program ended promptly with the conclusion of World War II, in 1945, but the agricultural program under various forms survived until 1964.....

The Bracero Program manpower is still needed and that need is now filled by illegal aliens that, once in the U.S. after risking their lives in desert crossings, will not return back to Mexico at the end of the season.

Since agribusiness needs the illegal labor because there are no legal Braceros, they bribe your Congresscritter to ignore the illegal alien problem. The problem then remains.

When I was stationed at U.S. Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, the base had hundreds of Jamaican contracted workers that performed non-military jobs while our sailors and Marines concentrated on their military duties. At the end of each contract term, they went back to their families in Jamaica with lots of Dollars to spend in their home village until they returned for their next contract.

Why a legal Bracero Program not linked to giving illegal aliens Green Cards is not being strongly advocated is beyond me.

[calcowgirl]

Here, in California, we could not function without our migrant workers -- especially our farms and ranches that feed America.

You do realize that only 2% of illegals are employed in agriculture, don't you?