[spikeytx86]

If migrant work were to dry up there would be a rather drastic up tick in migrant sensitive crop prices. However, as prices rise and demand starts to drop due to out of equilibrium pricing, producers will demand more efficient, innovative equipment to do the jobs the former migrants did. Robots do a great deal of assembly work on cars, the same could probably be done in agriculture but due to a glut of migrant work there has been no need nor interest in devoting resources to a more efficient automated system.

However another outcome could happen, the Ag lobby could demand the doubling of farm subsidies to offset the increased labor costs and since most of our republicans in the house and senate are from Ag heavy states they rely on farm subsidies to buy the Ag vote so that is something we would need to prevent if we ever really deal with immigration.

[SJackson]

If migrant work were to dry up there would be a rather drastic up tick in migrant sensitive crop prices. However, as prices rise and demand starts to drop due to out of equilibrium pricing, producers will demand more efficient, innovative equipment to do the jobs the former migrants did.

True, however migrant labor isn't going to dry up. You'll note the complaints in this article relate to "regulation", as in I'll have to check the social security of an employee electronically, and the cost of legal labor, which the grower acknowledges she turned to. The arguement being made is that we should tolerate illegals, rather than regulating migrants, whatever the level is.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

FWIW...temporary crop pickers can be imported now w/ the proper paperwork.

The reason they aren't ....is cuz...

why bother, there's an over abundance of illegals & no enforcement.

[Tailback]

If migrant work were to dry up there would be a rather drastic up tick in migrant sensitive crop prices.

Hogwash, what percentage of the cost of a head of lettuce is the labor? My guess is that transportation, storage, wastage, etc... makes up a much larger percentage of the overall price. We might see fewer farmer's trophy wives driving their brand new Yukon or Escalade while claiming their farm use tax credit than in the past, but at most the cost will go up 10%.