Post

Why do we ignore reality in the immigration debate?

With all the rhetoric obscuring the debate over so-called “immigration reform,” I’m reminded that you’ve got to know where you want to get before you start the trek to get there. Seems to me the 800-lb. gorilla in the room when politicians pontificate on reforming our immigrations laws is that we have built a food production system on the back of immigrant labor – legal or not – and we have to figure out how to keep that system running before we start getting “tough” on immigration.

This week the White House got on the phone with Farm Bureau leaders across the country to talk about the reality of agriculture’s need for an affordable labor pool. Earlier in the week the Western Growers Assn. denounced the Administration’s chest-thumping announcement of a week ago about stronger enforcement of immigration laws, saying to implement the White House plan as outlined would toss the labor pool into chaos. At issue is a goofy rule about employers having to make sure that worker documentation of immigration status – social security number or other – matches whatever the government has on file. If it doesn’t and you can’t reverify within 93 days (who picks these numbers?), then you have two choices: Fire the worker or risk the wrath of Uncle Sam.

So, it’s the employer’s job to police the immigrant work force. I wonder if anyone’s thinking about tax credits to cover the additional cost of cleaning up after the federal government’s inability to secure the border. Oh well, I digress. Bottom line: The White House should have talked to the agriculture community prior to making its announcement, then confronted the reality of how to keep sufficient labor in this country to harvest the fields, working in the processing plants, drive the trucks, make the deliveries and so on and so on and so on.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R, IA), who’s constituency does not rely nearly to the extent on immigrant labor as the West and South, “applauded” the White House get-tough position on enforcement, and acknowledged there will worker problems. “It could have some detrimental impact upon employment in agriculture, as well as manufacturing and service, but I think the people of this country expect us to enforce our laws,” he said in a statement. He then zeroed in on the solution: Beef up the temporary worker program in this country and increase the opportunities for legal immigration.

Of course, this means we have to get Congress out of partisan politics and presidential election mode and focused on actually getting meaningful immigration legislation hammered out and on the President’s desk. Yeah, right.

I heard a radio commentator today make the statement that “immigration reform is a bigger issue to most Americans than the Iraq war.” Frankly, if this is true, then I’m hoping that most citizens realize that without our immigrant workforce, the cost, availability and quality of the stuff they buy in grocery stores is going to either be compromised, a whole lot more expensive, or both.