In today's Miami Herald money section was an article titled: "The Fuss Over Farm Labor" by Monica Hatcher and Alfonso Chardy. I attempted to find the article on line but was unsuccessful. I will quote several items that were not mentioned in other similar stories in the media.


[quote]"Farmers, farmworkers and their advocates say at least four factors are fuelling fears that the number of availible farm hands is diminishing:
1) Congressional failure to move on a stalled U.S. senate bill would establish a temporary worker program and leaglize about 9 million of the country's estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants - many of them employed in agriculture.
2) Stepped-up border enforcement that is making it increasingly difficult for undocumented immigrants to sneak into the United States.
3) Heightened fear of random raids by immigration agents.
4) Migration of many farm workers to more lucrative construction jobs particularly in storm-ravaged New Orleans."


Farmers should make campaigns to find more workers that are legal. In Florida they say a farm job picking produce pays $10 an hour. It is hard physical work but if students or other legals new about it, maybe they would take the job.

It is nice to see that there are less of them getting across the border and they have a larger fear of ICE. After ICE had numerous raids around the time of the May 1st protests, many illegals were so afraid that they did not show up to work for days!

If this farm owner who owns numerous large farms was charged for hiring illegals and there was an asset forfeiture program in place, it would be like winning the lottery for ICE as it would enable them to hire more agents and while they are being trained existing ones can get overtime to get more of them.