Scramblus

I hear this argument CONSTANTLY, and it drives me absolutely nuts. "You want to deport illegal aliens, but I don't see YOU picking vegetables, cleaning hotel rooms, or doing roofing work!" Do you understand WHY Americans aren't lining up for these jobs? It's because employers have access to a large pool of cheap labor from people who have very little bargaining power. This is basic economics. When employers can fill positions at low wages, there's less pressure to raise those wages or improve working conditions. Before someone starts screaming about capitalism, let me explain something. Capitalism depends on competition. That includes employers competing for WORKERS. If you can't find someone willing to pick vegetables for $10 an hour, perhaps you need to offer $15. Or $20. Or invest in automation. Or improve working conditions. That's how a labor market is SUPPOSED to work. I have similar objections to the H-1B visa system. When a worker's immigration status depends heavily on an employer, that employer has leverage that an ordinary American worker doesn't have to tolerate. And that brings me to something else. Would removing illegal labor cause prices to rise in some industries? Probably. Would every displaced job automatically go to an American? Of course not. working conditions when doing so might jeopardize their livelihoods or expose them to immigration enforcement. That doesn't just hurt them. It can undermine bargaining power across the labor market. Would removing illegal labor cause prices to rise in some industries? Probably. Would every displaced job automatically go to an American? Of course not. But employers would have to adapt to a labor market in which they couldn't rely so heavily on workers with limited bargaining power. If your business model depends on a permanent supply of cheap, vulnerable labor, perhaps the problem isn't that Americans refuse to work. Perhaps the problem is your business model.