“Perhaps if you paid a decent wage you would get Americans to pick your crops.”
Yes, but what if they ask more than he can afford to pay to make it worthwhile? Or there arent enough Americans showing up? At some too-high price its not affordable and too low a price the US labor is unavailable. This law does have the effect of raising cost of labor for these farmers vs what they were doing and that puts them at a disadvantage w/ farmers in other states, especially if farmers in other states are using those same illegal aliens to get their crops in. ...
For example:
“ ... Martinez is here illegally. She stayed, but her husband left to work farms in Washington state. They wanted to avoid any chance they’d both get arrested.”
... these illegals are moving on to other states.
This is not to say the GA law is bad, but passing it in georgia only will put farmers that used the labor at a disadvantage to other states. It would be different/better if it was done evenly across the nation. The fact that this GA law had an impact telegraphs well the complete and utter failure at the federal level to do its job.
“I’m willing to pay more in the store for crops raised, picked, and packaged by Americans.”
Dittos.
It could be managed legally, except that "now that the job's done, you go home" is not enforced.