[sinkspur]

I paid $2 a pint for blueberries and $2.99 a pound for cherries this past weekend. I don't expect people will pay much more - maybe a little more but not much more. If American growers can't supply produce at those prices, I expect South American growers will.

Using cheap labor. US fruit cannot compete with imported fruit.

Fruit growers will go out of business without low cost labor.

[rhombus]

Using cheap labor. US fruit cannot compete with imported fruit. Fruit growers will go out of business without low cost labor.

Yup, I understand this as we've seen it in other industries as well. I think many do not care.

[LexBaird]

Fruit growers will go out of business without low cost labor.

It isn't low cost labor. It is publicly subsidized labor. The fruit farmer is underpaying these people, and throwing their social and large parts of their basic costs on the taxpayer to support in whole.

Traditionally, these jobs were filled by young people, teens not yet on their own who depended on their families for shelter, clothing, education and medical support. Now, these teens have been undercut by social services leeches, who get those supports from the U.S. taxpayer.

But the costs are still there, even if they aren't a line item in the fruit farmer's ledger book.

[JRochelle]

I don't buy imported fresh fruits and vegetables.
Ever since some people came down with hepatitis from imported green onions, because they had been most likely fertilized with human feces, I am VERY picky about what produce I purchase.

[Armando Guerra]

Using cheap labor. US fruit cannot compete with imported fruit.

That is the case. I think it is false to say U.S. workers aren't willing to do these jobs. In reality, it is that U.S. consumers aren't willing to pay for the produce at the prices that would enable the farmers to hire legal U.S. workers. Hence, the public instead will pay for Chilean grapes or Brazilian oranges picked by the cheap labor there while the U.S. farmers go out of business. An immigration crack-down won't affect the prices for produce, just where the produce originates. Construction will be a different matter unless we start seeing pre-fab homes "Made in China." Expect prices in construction to rise.

[SJackson]

Using cheap labor. US fruit cannot compete with imported fruit. Fruit growers will go out of business without low cost labor.

Better yet, maybe they'll go to Mexico and Central America, rather than importing a corrupt economic system to the US.