The Thorny Economics of Illegal Immigration

MSN Money ^ | unk | Bob Davis

[Cheerio]

MARICOPA, Ariz. - After Arizona passed a series of tough anti-immigration laws, Rob Knorr couldn't find enough Mexican field hands to pick his jalapeno peppers. He sharply reduced his acreage and invested $2 million developing a machine to remove pepper stems. His goal was to cut the number of laborers he needed by 90% and to hire higher-paid U.S. machinists instead.

'We used to have many migrant families. They aren't coming back,' says Mr. Knorr, who owns RK Farms LLC, an hour's drive from Phoenix.

Few issues in the presidential campaign are more explosive than whether and how much to crack down on illegal immigration, which some Republican candidates in particular blame for America's economic woes. Arizona is a test case of what happens to an economy when such migrants leave, and it illustrates the economic tensions fueling the immigration debate.

[Cheerio]

.............. On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would allow illegal immigrants already here to become citizens, and would continue the Obama administration policies.

..............

On the other side of the economic ledger, government spending on immigrants fell. State and local officials don't track total spending on undocumented migrants or how many of their children attend public schools. But the number of students enrolled in intensive English courses in Arizona public schools fell from 150,000 in 2008 to 70,000 in 2012 and has remained constant since. Schooling 80,000 fewer students would save the state roughly $350 million a year, by one measure.

During that same period, annual emergency-room spending on noncitizens fell 37% to $106 million, from $167 million. And between 2010 and 2014, the annual cost to state prisons of incarcerating noncitizens convicted of felonies fell 11% to $180 million, from $202 million.

[Uncle Miltie]

“the reduced competition for low-skilled jobs was a boon for some native-born construction and agricultural workers who got jobs or raises, and that the departures also saved the state money on education and health care.”

[stephenjohnbanker]

Almost none of the 20 million illegal trespassers work in farming.

Lying SOB’s.

[Uncle Miltie]

So Arizona may have given up some economic growth, but their actual citizens became employed and earned higher wages due to the reduced competition from illegal labor.

So the question is: Do politicians want to serve actual Americans, or businesses who employ illegal Mexicans?

[Uncle Miltie]

That is a simple question.

For too long, the GOPe (see WSJ) and Democrats have answered:

“We prefer Big Business and Mexicans over American workers.”

Vote them out. Trump or Cruz!

Rubio prefers Mexicans over Americans.

[Uncle Miltie]

“the median income of low-skilled whites who did manage to get jobs rose about 6%”

Actual Americans got a pay increase.

Mexicans went home.

And the problem is????? Thorny???

[Uncle Miltie]

"But the number of students enrolled in intensive English courses in Arizona public schools fell from 150,000 in 2008 to 70,000 in 2012 and has remained constant since. Schooling 80,000 fewer students would save the state roughly $350 million a year, by one measure."

[Uncle Miltie]

“Wages rose about 15% for Arizona farmworkers and about 10% for construction between 2010 and 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

Tossing illegals helps Americans.

The Wall Street Journal just HATES that.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Good post!

BTTT

[onona]

I could watch you debate you all day long :)

[musicman]

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[jospehm20]

I agree. I hate it when they try to change the subject. How many of the illegal aliens in Chicago, L.A., Boston or Houston work in farming?

[stephenjohnbanker]

4

lol

[stephenjohnbanker]

Or 3......one died.

[Lurker]

Only the legacy media would call the issue thorny.

L

[HiJinx]

Ping!

Click the keyword Aliens to see more illegal alien, border security, and other related threads.

[RWGinger]

I get so pi##ed when people like this farmer say they couldn’t get workers to pick tomatoes lettuce etc. That is BS.
There is a visa IIRC H2-A? that allows UNLIMITED agri workers. UNLIMITED. It does require the employer to vet and be responsible for those they bring in. Gee imagine that responsibility and accountability.
But the whining that we need to allow illegals to keep sneaking in so they can pick crops is PURE BS

[zeestephen]

Re: “Trump or Cruz! Rubio prefers Mexicans over Americans.”

In 2012, Ted Cruz also preferred Mexican labor.

While campaigning for the US Senate, Ted Cruz actively and publicly called for an increase in the number of foreign work visas for farm and ranch laborers in Texas.

Also, to my knowledge, Cruz has never publicly called for a reduction in the number of LEGAL immigrants coming to the USA.

That number is currently about 1.1 million per year, and most of those LEGAL immigrants have limited education and limited work skills.

[central_va]

Maybe a better name would be the “No Wall Street Journal”

[moehoward]

"..invested $2 million developing a machine to remove pepper stems."

And if it works will go into production and net Rob millions.

Regardless of that happy ending, no one, NO ONE, is saying we will stop seasonal agricultural labor.