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It just hit me what would/will happen if the President goes through with his executive order on amnesty. I haven’t heard much if anything on this take, and it is much more disruptive than offering 1-2 million immigrants (”new citizens”) some benefits at the state level.

You’ve heard the argument that the undocumented immigrants are “doing the work that Americans aren’t willing to do.” Well, once they are legalized, they’ll be ready to do work that Americans ARE willing to do - but at much lower pay! And they will not have to fear coming out of the shadows.

There will be an instant hit on low skilled workers (Walmart, fast food restaurants, hotel workers) of all demographics.

You’ll see it immediately in the construction trades. We won’t be checking if contractors are using illegals at much lower wage rates, because they won’t be illegal anymore. And it will drive lower skilled blacks and legal immigrant hispanics out of that work force, or be forced to settle for less pay. I’m surprised that we haven’t heard much uproar from those constituencies.

I realize now that this must have been the driving force behind the Minimum Wage hike movement. It took off suddenly last year, as rumblings started about legalizing undocumented immigrants.

Then you’ll see it for long-haul trucking. Rates for those drivers will drop dramatically, as they are paid per mile. New citizens will be happy to work for less, just to get away from menial labor work.

Then it will be auto mechanics and factory workers in non-union industries, who may be making $60K per year, being replaced with skilled new citizens accepting $30K. And doing just as good a job.

Then the oil field workers will start seeing lower wages as those jobs are taken by new citizens.

In about 5 years it will hit the professions.

Nurses will be replaced with new citizens willing to work for 60% of the salary.

As kids get free in-state college tuition you’ll see graduates willing to do all kinds of work for less.

No question that it will help businesses recover from a poor economy, and even allow them to offer more employment at lower salaries. And likely lead to lower prices. But it will drive more actual citizens out of the work force.

And it will make way for the next wave of illegal immigrants - from India, Pakistan, Sudan, Nigeria, Cambodia, Sweden, looking for a path to the good life.

And who would blame them? Indians and Pakistanis make $100-200 per month in the MIddle East in oppressive work conditions. Would they be willing to work for $1000/month in the US?

I don’t see a way back if this happens. Amnesty is ‘game over.’ There’s no stopping the changes after that. We will see independent communities of ethnic groups who have no need to learn the American culture, history, language and ideals that new immigrants have always strived to adopt as their own. In a word, the US would become a European country.