Border security is needed now, businesses will simply have to adjust June 29, 2005 What would happen if the United States actually deployed adequate security along the Mexican border? People in Western states are getting a glimpse in the wake of the all-volunteer "Minuteman Project" and a follow-on boost to the Border Patrol under political pressure. Agricultural interests are complaining of a lack of field hands, and in fact some fruit crops are going unpicked for lack of labor. Why the shortage? The consensus seems to be that there are fewer "undocumented workers," as illegal aliens are delicately called, available to pick berries and such. While no one should wish ill upon farmers who even in good seasons struggle to make money in highly competitive markets, our sympathy for those who've been getting by on the backs of illegal labor is rather limited. There are better solutions to farm labor shortages than opening up the border to illegal immigrants who are likely to put a large burden on taxpayer-funded social services. States could make it far easier for farms to hire temporary workers. It once was a common experience for young people in Western agricultural states to do a bit of farm labor during the summer fruit season; that's no longer the case, in part because of minimum wage laws. Cheap illegal labor also tends to delay adoption of machinery to aid in farm work. Now that we know that border enforcement can actually reduce the flow of illegal immigration, the Bush administration should devote more resources to the effort. If illegal immigration is controlled, those businesses that have unfairly gained from the use of illegal labor will simply have to adjust. Last updated July 5, 2005 |