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March 19, 2007

The Proof is in the Pudding: Americans DO Want "Those" Jobs

Marc Comtois

I had heard last week that the recently-raided M. Bianco plant in New Bedford had opened it's doors to applicants and that they were mobbed. As Mark Krikorian reminds, this is just another example that undercuts the claim that illegal immigrants do the jobs Americans won't do.

After the Swift meatpacking raids in Greeley. Colo., Americans lined up out the door of the hiring office seeking the newly freed-up positions. Then, after the Crider chicken plant in Stillmore, Ga., was cleared of its illegal aliens, "For the first time in years, local officials say, Crider aggressively sought workers from the area's state-funded employment office." And now, after the raid on a New Bedford, Mass., military contractor (that has caused such hyperventilation from the party apparat in the people's republic), guess what? Yup. Americans in that high-unemployment city are actually getting hired.
He links to this video, from New England Cable News (wish Cox gave us the option...). Watching the video, it becomes clear that--at least anecdotally--the people taking those newly-available jobs are members of the poor and working class minority community. (One gentleman even goes so far as to say--to paraphrase--that it doesn't matter if it's at the minimum wage, it's a job). These are exactly the people most hurt by illegal immigrants working at sub-standard wages. We all have to start somewhere, and by enabling illegal immigrants, those who claim to be advocates for the unemployed are actually doing them a disservice.

Comments

Let's see what happens when these Bianco guys try docking pay and denying TP to Americans. I'm just curious.

Posted by: Rhody at March 19, 2007 6:40 PM

Immigration is an issue where the far left and the far right actually meet.

Far lefties are lenient; far righties want cheap labor that won't cause problems.

If there were no jobs for illegals, they probably wouldn't come.

Posted by: klaus at March 19, 2007 7:13 PM

Rhody: I suspect if they tried that with American workers, they'd be confronted pretty quickly with a union organization drive.

klaus: yup.

Posted by: Marc Comtois at March 20, 2007 8:41 AM

At the intersection of illegal immigration and the upcoming presidential campaign, I just read that John McCain has backed away from the Kennedy McCain Amnesty bill (his own bill).

While he still has a ways to go on the issue - he is now amenable to letting them have amnesty after they first return to their home country - this is a step in the right direction.

Posted by: SusanD at March 21, 2007 10:28 PM