I live in AL and so far we have not seen any ill effects of the crackdown. However, our unemployment rate has dropped dramatically, saving the state lots of money. The restaurants have had to adjust, but have managed to replace the missing staff. We have also had a rash of US citizens “marrying” foreigners, especially Eastern Europeans, only to be caught in fraudulent arrangements by the INS. Some folks have ended up in jail or with fines.
I lived in Mobile for a bit. I agree with you. I know a lot of people were having problems finding work. Legal citizen types. 80,000 jobs created imo.