Such raids serve little purpose except to fan public anger over illegal immigration and deflect criticism of enforcement agencies. The highly visible raids preserve the fiction that the government is "doing something about illegal immigrants." Since being in the United States without proper documentation is easy to prove, many illegal immigrants plead guilty and spend one to six months or so in jail for the offense, supported by taxpayers.
On the other hand, ICE must prove that employers knew that their workers were in the country illegally when they were hired. The investigations are lengthy and expensive, often consuming several years' work. It is not enough to prove that employers do not care whether their employees are in this country legally. Indifference to the law is not illegal, only intentional disobedience.
Imagine being able to defend against a speeding ticket by forcing the police to prove that you intended to break the speed limit. The difference in the enforcement of speeding and immigration laws is one of desire. At bottom, government is reluctant to prosecute employers for numerous reasons. Pro-business politicians know who foots the bill for their astronomically expensive campaigns and are careful not to bite the many hands that feed them.
Concerning the raid that involved some 200 enforcement agents, the Houston Chronicle reports that Rep. Gene Green (D-Houston), whose congressional district includes the rag-sorting plant said, "It sounded like maybe [ICE] had more assets than they really needed to go in and pick up those 160 people there. Most of those ladies who worked there, granted they were here illegally, but they weren't holding up liquor stores or hurting people. They just needed a way to support their families."
Historically, owners of businesses like Action Rags USA are unlikely to face prosecution. No one really wants to cut off the cheap labor, but public opinion has been whipped up against illegal immigrants by an administration that needs a diversion.
The simplest proof that the government has no intention of enforcing immigration laws is in the numbers. Conservative estimates put the number of illegal immigrants in the US at 10 million. Last year, ICE raids swept up 3750 of those 10 million in workplace raids, or less than 4/10 of 1 per cent. ICE is not doing a better job of rounding up illegal workers because it does not have a mandate to do so. It would be difficult to do a worse job. Nor is the problem a lack of staffing.
Companies depend on cheap labor to make money. From time immemorial, business owners have depended on poorly paid workers to produce wealth. During the middle ages, serfs produced wealth for the lord of the manor; in colonial America, slave labor made plantation owners rich. After the Civil War, sharecroppers took over where the slaves left off. Now, in the 21st Century, the illegal immigrant has taken the unenviable position of producing wealth for American employers for too little recompense.
Americans will not work for slave wages, but illegal immigrants will. Americans do not really want jobs sorting rags or picking lettuce. No doubt, there were another 160 workers ready to take the place of those swept up in the raid. Many of those are probably undocumented as well, but until there is no advantage for employers in hiring illegal immigrants, companies will continue to do it.
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Comments: 63
I have friends in the construction trades that tell me of crews of illegal aliens undercutting their prices and putting them out of business. These crews of illegal aliens don't have to pay SS, unemployment, medicare, state or federal tax. And please, don't try to run the "they pay taxes" on me. If they do they're using someone else's SS number. An illegal alien cannot get a SS number.
A study done on the hourly wages of illegal aliens says that after figuring in welfare, housing assisstance and other social services, these illegal aliens make between $30 -$40 dollars an hour. NOTHING they do is cheap.
Face it. US citizens are not going to some jobs because the wages are so low. I watch "Dirty Jobs" so I know there are a lot of jobs out there that Americans do that are disgusting, gross, and icky. But if they're paid well enough, they'll proudly clean up crap and reach into slime.
Love the lack of sources(shocker, eh?). How mauch do you figure they paidIN during that time?
"And please, don't try to run the "they pay taxes" on me. If they do they're using someone else's SS number. "
So they pay IN but do NOT collect? Got it!
"A study done on the hourly wages of illegal aliens says that after figuring in welfare, housing assisstance and other social services, these illegal aliens make between $30 -$40 dollars an hour. "
Do you have a source other than the Don B. pull it out of my backside study? Do share! :P
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
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I don't know what the solution is--I'm just sorry for the "illegals" caught up in the system. To my mind, they're the least guilty.
Punishing the employers may sound fair, and you're right about the reasons they're not really doing it. However, if they did, the consequences would be that people with a foreign, especially Hispanic name, appearance, accent, etc. would have difficulty getting a job, especially in the kinds of jobs most "affected", regardless of their immigration or citizenship status. An employer has no training as an immigration officer and can't determine the validity of all the different kinds of documents presented to him or her at the level of certainty and criminal responsibility. It would simply be safer for them to not hire anyone who appears to be "high risk". (But then such discrimination is against the law too, as the I-9 form clearly states right up top.)
This is why they're trying to introduce a centralized e-verification system. That would certainly protect the employers, but it would be less friendly to some employees--like all systems, it's bound to have a certain rate of error, and there will be American citizens told "sorry, there's something wrong..." And no employer will wait until the problem is cleared, I can assure you.
If NOBODY does it . . . then they have to RAISE wages. Wheres the people screaming for supply and demand NOW?
"...so they are by definition criminals."
So are Jaywalkers.
LoL!
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
Aniko, I agree with you that we all benefit from the slave labor economy as it exists.
Don B., I want one of those $30-$40/hr jobs! Which country do I have to bust into?
It's a very fine line.
Those jobs do not pay BECAUSE of illegals willing to do it cheaper than Americans. Raise the wage, you will see people seeking those jobs.
I don't remember the source for the hourly rate when added to social services recieved by these ILLEGAL ALIENS. Key word here is ILLEGAL for you liberals.
I'm not against immigration, I'm against ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
Joe T.,
In the county I live in the social services goes out and looks for these people to enroll them in social services. There is a MIGRANT headstart center to provide daycare for their children. It has dozens of buses to pick them up and provides breakfast and lunch for them. Guess who pays for it? US taxpayers. Does the government provide you with "free" daycare for your children so you can work? My daughters have to pay for childcare for my grandchildren.
The CHEAP labor is not CHEAP.
"first symptoms of fading appeared today. It may or may not be a progressive condition".
What is, fading, and what are those symptoms?
I'm originally from Houston and the problem with illegals is not that they are scarfing up all the really desirable rag picking jobs. The problem is that, because they are in the country illegally, they follow no laws.
Crime in my hometown was a nightmare, that's why we left the city we love so much when we had children. The illegals change their names, disappear over the border or are hidden by family members and because they have no social security numbers they are essentially impossible to trace. I'm NOT saying all illegals are dangerous criminals, but I am saying that they come to my state illegally wanting all the rights of citizens and offering none of the responsibilities that go along with being a citizen of any country.
They also lower wages for any actual citizen because employers can hire them at "slave wages" and are not interested in paying American workers an actual wage.
Because they do not contribute, they weigh down the school system and the health system. They clog the INS and criminal courts system.
We are a nation of immigrants. I admire anyone and welcome anyone who leaves their country to become a citizen of this great country, trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. BUT my ancestors came here legally and prospered. That's all I ask from immigrants now. Please show us that you respect our laws and want to contribute to this great country; we'll share, there's enough for everyone when each citizen accepts his/her responsibility and pulls his/her own weight!
I don't remember the source for the hourly rate when added to social services recieved by these ILLEGAL ALIENS. Key word here is ILLEGAL for you liberals."
Actually, according to the information on that website, the key word here is US CITIZEN:So they're including the costs of services provided to these children, who are US citizens, and deserve those services just as much as any other US citizen.
"There is a MIGRANT headstart center to provide daycare for their children. It has dozens of buses to pick them up and provides breakfast and lunch for them. Guess who pays for it? US taxpayers."
Well I'm a US taxpayer and I'm happy if a little bit of my tax money is used to feed and educate children, regardless of who their parents are or where they came from.
I say, let's get rid of the a*#holes, of the world, and all the people use their knowledge, skills and labor, to benifit each other.
Oh, I'm going to use that phrase, thanks for sharing. (This is a comment link for A Stone's Throw Away. It was written solely for when you're in the mood to be entertained. Click here to start the fun.)
Illegal immigrants are trying to escape the brutal poverty of their own country; and it's hard to fault them for that.
Contrary to what Don B. said ("..over 10 million skilled jobs..), illegal workers actually impact our unskilled markets the most; the uniformed and t-shirt collared markets where countless Americans have traditionally earned their livings with their hands. Nation wide, warehouses, labor pools, housekeeping, landscaping, construction help, etc. are all employment niches that have been heavily effected by the influx of folks who will work for less.
If Action Rags USA pays a legitimate wage, there are any number of towns in Ohio that could provide 160+ workers.
We have the employees. They sent 200 agents to round up 160 women. We have the equipment. The helicopters, INS vans, handcuffs, riot gear, etc. We have facilities for processing the people and detaining them until transport is ready for deportation. The only thing that seems to be lacking is the WILL to send them away. And the reason for that, friends, is thatthe politicians, who want to stay in office, don't want to cross their campaign contributors, who are the business people who benefit most from employing undocumented workers.
I am truly tired of people complaining about illegal immigrants who WORK while they are here. I am still stuck in 5th grade where we learned that everyone wanted to come to America and that we welcomed them just like the Statue of Liberty said.
I know, naive huh? Oh well, I am sure there are tons of reasons for building that wall and all that. I guess it is much better to take those gals off their jobs and put them into jail for 6 months, letting us support them instead of them working.
I sinscerely hope that ICE increase these raids by a factor of ten.
I appeal to all, Visit NumbersUsa.com, and FairUs.org and other fabulous sites. Activate your selves to preserve your Country while you still can.
Matthew J., I can't roll with NumbersUsa and FairUS, John Tanton and company are trying to pee on people's heads and tell them it's raining...those sites are disgusing themselves as illegal immigration reformers when they are in reality advancing a nefarious aganda that makes a good America an all-White one. Is that what you'd like to see preserved?
"Americans do not really want jobs sorting rags or picking lettuce."
There are PLENTY of people in this country, who would be glad to get ANY job they could get!
Ask the homeless guy on the corner of Any Town USA, (who's standing out there with a sign which says "Will work for food"), if HE would accept a job sorting rags or picking lettuce! (he'd most likely be willing to lick your boots, for $5)
GT
Life Under The Radar
Angel
One thing no one mentioned is that entering this country has become a process that takes forever and there is no way that any immigration official is going to approve a person - say from Mexico - to come over here to work - just because they are asking and putting in their paperwork. As far as I know you do have to show you have a place to stay, give an address and show that you have enough income and a sponsor who also has to prove that they have enough income.
So in essence what you are saying is let's keep the border closed, that will solve our problem. Might I suggest that while you are at it dump the Statue of Liberty or send it back to France, we surely do not need any more of your downtrodden ......
It's ludicrous to say Americans would jump at the opportunity of that rag sorting job. Sure you gonna move down to Houston from Ohio, where you know no one and cannot support yourself on those wages, never mind your family.
The qualification is to work your butt off for slave wages.
That guy on the corner who will work for food is not going to take a job that doesn't pay enough to get an apartment and a phone and pay for groceries and let's say a bus ride to work. If indeed he is mentally capable of holding a job. The homeless drug addict is neither going to want nor would they be hired for the job.
The illegal immigration question is manifold and I surely do not have an answer, but most of all I agree that our government has absolutely no interest in solving the problem. So does this problem serve a purpose? It's not like they don't have the manpower and equipment and wherewithal and there certainly are enough laws in place - so what is the real problem here?
Are they interested in pushing for chips to be implanted so people can be tracked (after all SS cards don't do the trick) or introducing technology that will scan your eyes (retina?) when you cross the border - legally I might add.
All aimed at eventually introducing and forcing this on all citizens for "their own protection".
Well, obviously I do not have an answer and I have never cared for numbers - since when are numbers accurate? Paper is patient - and if they are illegally here - the information collected will be faulty.
Just reading the report discussed in the comments above - the results are skewed and they did not even try to hide the fact that they included US citizens - for shame. Still people spew out the numbers as justification.
Anne, it was interesting to follow the diversity of comments in this thread.
PS...and that wall, please - gimme a break, whoever seriously suggested this should have their head examined.
I don't know what I support as far as this issue is concerned, common sense is missing in the writing and execution of the immigration laws and no I am not particularly keen in just letting everyone that wants to march into this country either.
I don't want criminals entering and I surely would like to do bodily harm to those who collect thousands from the illegals while transporting them illegally in a sub human way, often extorting monies even after they arrive.
Unfortunately our school and our hospitals and our systems for welfare and food stamps are hopelessly underfunded and do not even respond adequately to the Americans in dire need of assistance.
We seem to be swept up in a current of change in this country - I do hope that we will not drown in the near future, as they poor get poorer - yup, that is one of the statistics I tend to believe, because I can see it with my own eyes.
Just ask me who and what I know about this subject and I will tell you that it affects all of us here who are paying our taxes to support them. Oh, and for the record ~ these people that come from south of the border are not only Mexicans, but also Central Americans.
When they pay their taxes, they should think of their tax money going for things they support. Whether it is "good roads," "Public transportation," parks and recreation, or whatever matters most to them! Forget about the tax money that goes to ICE, the costs of jailing illegals, or anything else that doesn't please them!
It was an idea! :)
Go after the businesses that encourage people to come her illegally. I don't buy for one second the "oh but then they won't hire any hispanics" crap. That's a strawman arguement. I deal in payroll and HR. If you are doing everything legally, then you aren't overly concerned about "accidentally" hiring an illegal. Because it's almost impossible to accidentally hire one illegal, let alone 160.
The fact is, most employers don't hire illegals to shirk paying the hourly wage. The difference between $6 and $8 an hour is minimal. They hire illegals to avoid paying Social security, Worker's Comp, medicare, and state and federal taxes. The cost of having one legal employee is not wrapped up in the employee's hourly wage. It is wrapped up in everything else. Illegal employees don't report to OSHA when they get hurt on the job, thus keeping the official injury rate down to reduce worker's comp claims and premiums. Illegal employees aren't filing income tax returns, so you aren't paying into social security taxes (keep in mind that your employer matches your Social security tax contribution). Illegal employees don't file complaints with the department of labor when you make them work OT without OT pay.
It is almost impossible to "accidentally" hire an illegal if you are doing everything legally.
Thanks!
Some of the other side is pointed out in the comments.
I know that no politician or scientist or business man that I have
ever heard has a good complete answer for this.
I think that the only answer is going to be one that includes
the whole world, and that is a long ways off. I am sorry I will
not probably live long enough to see what happens. It will
certainly be fascinating, but probably will take hundreds of
years. Meanwhile what is going to happen to people in the
US, or people in Mexico?
I think people need jobs and opportunity, and that in some
cases when I need to get something done I wish I had
the opportunity to hire some cheap labor outside the
system.
I also have been discriminated in my own country by
foreign workers who have a grudge against Americans,
ironically which I can even understand.
Why can't we make a trade with Mexico where if they
want labor and jobs we get something for solving
their messed uo country's problems, like the ability to
live there, or start businesses, or own land.
I could moving to some beautiful place in Mexico if I
knew I was not going to be robbed, murdered, and
there were police to protect my property rights.