Real consequences of Immigration laws
Colorado considers prisons as source for farmworkers | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
DENVER — Ever since passing what its legislature touted as the nation’s toughest laws against illegal immigrants last summer, Colorado has struggled with a labor shortage as migrant workers fled the state. This week, officials announced a novel solution: use convicts as farm labor.
The Department of Corrections hopes to launch a pilot program this month — thought to be the first of its kind — that would contract with more than a dozen farms to provide inmates who will pick melons, onions and peppers.
Crops were left to spoil in the fields after passage of legislation that required state identification to obtain government services and let police check suspects’ immigration status.
“The reason this (program) started is to make sure the agricultural industry wouldn’t go out of business,” state Rep. Dorothy Butcher said.
Low-risk inmates may work in the fields, earning 60 cents a day. They also are eligible for small bonuses.
The proposal stunned advocates on both sides of the immigration debate.
“If they can’t get slaves from Mexico, they want them from the jails,” said Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, which favors immigration restrictions.
Ricardo Martinez of the Denver immigrants’ rights group Padres Unidos asked: “Are we going to pull in inmates to work in the service industry, too? You won’t have enough inmates — unless you start importing them from Texas.”
Oh my, I think this speaks for itself. Do any of us really believe that farmers let their crops rot in the fields without offering the jobs to Americans? Next time you hear the “they’re takin’ our jobs” argument tell the arguer that he can get a job in Colorado.
Technorati Tags: immigration, anti-immigration legislation, illegal immigrants, prisoners, cheap labor
Filed under: illegals, immigrants, immigration
