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Why not Open Borders if we can't find employees?

4K views 93 replies 31 participants last post by  Alice In TX/MO 
#1 ·
Years ago Mexicans used to do farm work in the us and return to Mexico in the off season. So what did we gain by closing the border?
There are always jobs that Americans are not willing to take. Let immigrants fill them for a chance to come to the US. Even Trump used such workers in his businesses. Of course he was smart to apply for such workers before the quota is used up.
 
#2 ·
In my area we have many South Africans doing farm work, and then there are a few from Peru.

They came here legally.

No one said close the border. Many of us do believe we should regulate who comes here and why they come here.
 
#14 ·
In my area we have many South Africans doing farm work, and then there are a few from Peru.

They came here legally.

No one said close the border. Many of us do believe we should regulate who comes here and why they come here.
Absolutely.

About 100 years ago one of my Grandfathers came here as a farm worker. And, yes, he came here legally. If we need more workers then the gov.. SHOULD allow more people to come here legally: right now people often have to wait for decades, excepting for those on a temporary work permit!
 
#3 ·
Why have a job when the government was paying you $17/hr (the first 25K tax free, that's 50K for married couples), free (well, taxpayer funded) medical care and $200-400/ month in free (well, taxpayer funded) food.

Just sayin'
 
#15 ·
Not sure what you mean, I have been up since 5.... :D

I haven't seen 100K sign on bonus anywhere, however, I have seen between 2500 and 10K. But you had to have some sort of qualifications (ie, a CDL A, with Hazmat, with a good driving record and be able to pass a drug screen, for the 10K) we are offering a $1K sign on (and $15/hr base) (with $500 referral bonus if a current employee recommends) for just getting getting hired full time (and we ONLY have 1 part timer out of 55 total, he works 30 hours per week and goes to college 1 day and was full time for 8 years. He's taking advantage of the 'frontliners education program').
They requirements to get hired?
Show up, on time for 90 calendar days.
NO drug test
NO skill set
Just show up, on time for 90 days

We can't even get that.
We just let 2 people go (both with 6+ years service) because they simply could not (or would not) show up for work. Not even on time. JUST showing up. 1 averaged 3 call in per pay period (2 weeks) 30% absenteeism.

He was given multiple (6 or 7) chances, put on probation, moved to a different shift (that he requested to be transferred to, having a co-worker pick him up.

NOPE still couldn't or wouldn't
 
#8 ·
Years ago Mexicans used to do farm work in the us and return to Mexico in the off season. So what did we gain by closing the border?
There are always jobs that Americans are not willing to take. Let immigrants fill them for a chance to come to the US. Even Trump used such workers in his businesses. Of course he was smart to apply for such workers before the quota is used up.
Farm work used to pay enough to provide for a family raised in the USA. WW2 sent the men over seas to fight and brought in labor from down south due to the shortage of American labor. Once the farmers figured out they could continue to pay the really low wages, and work the help under conditions that used to not be tolerated, there was little incentive for the locals to go back to the fields.
The wages and conditions needed to get Americans back into the field is possible, just not desired by those that shop at the grocery store.
 
#16 ·
Actually, the Bracero program was a good program aside from the living conditions. Today, as we know more, that part could change for the better. What killed the Bracero program? The UNIONS. Do your homework before posting how illiterate you are.

We in essence, do have open borders. Have job postings decreased?
 
#17 ·
The labor market is like any other market-- subject to the universal law of supply and demand....With any specific level of demand, the more workers available (high supply), the price paid them (wages) goes down.....Because the people sneaking into the country are largely uneducated, untrained, low skilled worker, they are competing with our own lowest skilled/educated/trained people....It's our own poor, unskilled/untrained people who suffer the most from illegal immigration.

Secondly, there's a difference between "open boarders" (no control over who comes in) and regulated immigration with increased quotas.

If your question was an innocent one asked out of naivete', there's your answer...If it was a a rhetorical question trying to make a political point, then gotohell.
 
#24 ·
And minus our social programs, Americans might "want" to do field work.

Decisions, as you well know, are a factor of options.

Why would an illegal do back breaking labor in the US if our social programs offered them a lifestyle better than the hovel in Mexico?
 
#29 ·
Actually, ALL migrant workers made the decision to live that life style. It was better than starving.
I'll let you explain why Americans or Illegals, or anyone would not do back backing work if they faced starvation since you want to twist my explanation.
 
#31 ·
There is no reason to throw the borders open in order to fill agriculture jobs. Simply have a guest worker program. Workers needed could come in for whatever time period there was a job for them. They could earn their money and leave their wives and children at home in whatever country they came from and then return to their home with their savings when the job was done. No reason to hide out in the USA to prevent deportation when it is easy to cross back and forth with a legal permit..

If you open the borders and make it legal for all to come, you still won't have farm workers because as soon as they are legal, they get the same welfare as USA born citizens and there is no reason for them to do hard physical labor.
 
#33 ·
I was born into a life of migrant labor. Both maternal and paternal families were migrant workers and so was I from as early as I can remember. As a matter of fact, my first memory of life was of working in a potato field barefoot!!!
To say that illegals do jobs that Americans won’t do is bull****.
Open borders would bring an end to National Sovereignty and Security.

You need to put down the crack pipe and walk away.
 
#41 ·
My Son was working for less than minimum wage two Illegals took his Job. When I was hiring I would run them off. One time I got couple Sheep for a Big Get Together. Yes I had a good time but these people took Jobs done by locals for years.

The only reason there is so many Jobs is the Government was paying them to stay home. Now they are using COVID while spreading it through out the country.

big rockpile
 
#55 ·
I am taking about field work now. Not other jobs. Most will have a family and young childen also picking Citru. They make a good wage

They make enough money that makes them happy much more than what they could make in Mexico. A lot of them has family with them. The whole family picks. Most make a good wage enough to work a few mos. in U.S. and go back to Mexico the rest of the year. I have worked with the government and also help these folks and also work with the large Citrus owners.
Have you been to So. Florida and talked to any workers or with any local folks about the workers from Mexico? Where are you from? I am sure you know nothing about farm workers from Mexico working in the U.S. Otherwise you would know a little about the Work people from other countries do here.
 
#58 ·
I do know we used to pick beans and strawberries in the summer.

Also, having your whole family and young kids picking is not even a level playing field.

Can one illegal or legal husband and one illegal or legal wife pick enough to rent a house locally, buy a decent car, afford health insurance, pay for thier own food and retirement? Put away savings for emergencies?

If not, why would an American do the work.

It isn't that they can make a good wage, it is they are willing to work for much less than a person who lives here and must pay thier own way.

I might not know much about illegals farming, but I've seen it on the construction side for 25 years.

They live 8 to a room, eat at a sustinance level, are driven to and from work and send their money home.

I don't begrudge them trying to make money for their families. However, to say them and a working class American are equal as far as financial needs go is a non starter.
 
#61 ·
The majority coming in illegally now are not Mexican, they are Guatemalans, Hondurans and from El Salvador. Many are Covid positive and most are not vaccinated. Most Mexicans want nothing to do with them as many are criminals and dangerous.
 
#62 ·
We have gone from:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”


To your drug mules, child traffickers, convicted rapists/drug traffickers and welfare voters in short order. Again, this is by design and it cannot be denied by anyone with a rational mind.
 
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