As more and more states attempt to crack down on the number of illegal immigrants residing and working in their jurisdictions, the awful consequences of such laws are coming to light. From this article:
A controversial immigration law in the US state of Georgia has brought unintended results, forcing farmers to reluctantly turn to ex-convicts as Latin American manual workers flee.
Georgia labor officials estimate a shortage of some 11,000 workers in the agriculture sector, and the state has enacted a program where people on probation, who often have difficulty finding jobs, are sent into the fields.
(Emphasis mine.)
But with the gaping hole in their normal workforce, many reluctant farmers have little choice.
"We're going to have to train them -- that's a cost we're going to have to absorb," James told AFP.
"If they pass a drug test and they're drug free, we'll use them if we have to," she added, pointing out that many workers they used to employ "are scared to come to Georgia."
I think conservative Republicans who are drawing unemployment checks from the state of George should be sent to work in those fields. After all, are these not the "American jobs" they "have a right to" as an unemployed American?
Also note how preposterous it is that these farmers property rights have totally been violated. Not only are they not allowed to hire whom they please to work on their property for their business, but now they're being forced to use criminal laborers.
Other farmers, such as Dan King of Five Brothers Produce in Rebecca, refuse to hire people on probation despite the shortage in laborers.
"I don't need to make it easy for someone to case my place and come back and steal from me after hours," he said.
Thousands rallied in downtown Atlanta against these laws. Nothing about it on MSNBC but lead story on Fox News.com: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/02/thousands-rally-against-georgia-immigration-law/
Here's coverage by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/thousands-rally-against-immigration-995853.html
Guy