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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
The conservative in me thinks addressing this issue (deporting them) would lead to higher wages and better benefits in the ag sector, which attracts more domestic workers to work in ag. It also would increase investment in mechanization and automation. There will be a time of higher costs increased food prices but when things settle, they should stabilize.

However, on a broader level, I find this entire situation absurd. The United States has become far too reliant on migrant labor, having half of the agricultural workforce undocumented. We need to ask ourselves why this is the case. It ain’t because this is "work Americans won't do". It's entirely because, for over 40 years, corporations have been allowed to exploit cheap imported labor, keeping wages for these jobs disgustingly low sometimes even below the federal minimum wage.

There are plenty of Americans who would be willing to do this work, but not for $12 an hour under the sweltering sun of Texas. Offer $30 an hour plus benefits to harvest lettuce, and you would see plenty of people lining up for those jobs. The problem lies in the fact that neither Democrats nor Republicans have taken meaningful action for decades. BOTH sides have allowed "big ag" to exploit these workers, paying pennies per box harvested perpetuating this cycle of exploitation, and doing so in such a way that if it were to ever dare end, suddenly panic, omg, our foods gonna rot and we're all gonna die of starvation because we cant afford food! They have caught you in this line of thinking, so they will always get their cheap, exploitive labor.

In my opinion, the widespread abuse of migrant labor over the past four decades is a shameful stain on this country. But, just like iPhones and Nike shoes, most people turn a blind eye to the unethical labor practices behind the products they want, so long as the price is low. Just look at OPs post: concerns about "rotting crops" and "skyrocketing prices", and not a single care about the exploitation of these workers. This has been ignored for decades and now that there's a policy threatens to send them home, we just get all up in arms because we might have to pay more.

It’s almost like saying that an economy can’t survive without illegal & low or no cost labor to farm the land.  You know who else used that argument????

[b]The Confederacy during the Civil War.   Let that sink in.[/b]
[/quote]

Blame Walmart. They forced artificially low prices and had small towns cannibalize each other.

Also, they are the equivalent of white man’s field work. Low wages, underemployment to avoid benefits. Yet, MAGA doesn’t ballyhoo over Walmart employees using federal and state assistance, like they do immigrants.

Maybe people should think about that. Why is okay to subsidize Walmart’s employees, but not farmers’ employees?

They all pay minimal amount of SS, but only one group will see it. They both disproportionately use benefits. [/quote]

Oh my God. You have obviously never worked in a Walmart. Those working conditions are not remotely close to what field and slaughterhouse workers suffer through, and it is incredibly out-of-touch for you to even make that comparison. Let them eat cake, DCUM version #10359491748.[/quote]

My dad worked there. He lasted 4 days, after a career as a fed. You must not be aware that Walmart has warehouse and dock workers and there have been repeated complaints of human rights violations, even by shareholders.

You can’t answer the question though. How convenient. I’ll just wait for you to say you’ve never eaten a strawberry.

https://foodchainworkers.org/walmart-workers-speak-out/

https://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/walmart-investors-signal-their-concerns/

https://www.nelp.org/insights-research/chain-greed-walmarts-domestic-outsourcing-harms-workplace-rights-warehouse-workers/[/quote]

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