So our only choice is illegals then?
I don’t buy that.
I’ve said before that I am OK with a guest worker program, IF, we can guarantee that it’s legit and above-board, simple to follow, and they GO BACK HOME when they are done...if, in fact, the labor cannot be provided any other way.
We don't employ illegals and in our area, I don't know a single farmer who does. They grow only things that can be mechanically worked and harvested and hire full time legal Mexicans for the year round work.
I wish there was a simple answer. Many vegetable and fruit crops don't lend themselves to machine harvesting. I know that ag engineers (Texas A&M) are working on that but it takes time.
If the government could run a "good" (simple) guest worker program, where they'd know who they were, where they were and make them leave when finished then that would help. But I have no faith the government is capable of that. What Mexican worker would want to return to the Narco violence in their country? Maybe we need to look to China. :-)Just kidding.