The Immigration Reform Conundrum

Wednesday's News and Observer front page headline proclaimed: "Feds to crack down on migrants" The subheading then declared: "New rules will force employers to fire workers with false credentials". For many citizens the story offered some encouragement that the federal government was finally stepping up to its responsibility. And as all the candidates know, immigration reform is a hot issue with the voters. But as I found out last week in touring an eastern North Carolina farm operation, it's not that simple from the farmers' perspective.

The agri-business I visited employs at its peak around 500 people, most being migrant farm workers who come for the particular season and then move on. Credentials are presented that may or may not be legitimate and it isn't until those workers are long gone that the paperwork comes back saying that the documentation isn't valid. While the employer may very well suspect that many, if not most, of the workers aren't here legally, the reality is that trying to ascertain who is and who isn't legal isn't easy. And besides, those workers are needed to plant and harvest the crops.

A second issue I discovered is what to do about those illegals who have stayed in the community for several years and worked regularly for the farmer. Many have moved from the fields to supervisory or skilled positions and have established themselves as valuable members of the farm workforce and the community.

As the owner of the farm that I talked with discussed these issues, one point was made clear. Eliminate this work force and he would be forced to close his farming operation. With our agricultural system already facing numerous challenges and a declining number of people willing to farm for a living, we must realize, that while immigration reform is important, there are consequences that will result - consequences that might hurt our state economically.

While the immigration issue can be easily exploited for political purposes, candidates and office holders need to at least pay close attention to the impact certain actions will inevitably have on our economy. Good government depends on working to find solutions, not 30 second sound bites.