Good Intentions Gone Awry: IRCA and U.S. Agriculture

摘要: Agriculture has been the major side door and backdoor through which unskilled immigrants have entered United States for past half century. If 1980s' immigration patterns continue in 1990s, up to one-fourth of working-aged U.S. who arrive during decade may their initial employment fruit vegetable agriculture. Immigration reform was expected agriculture's revolving-door labor market. By legalizing farm workforce, it hoped that legal workers did not compete with a continuing influx illegal aliens could force farmers improve wages working conditions. Farmers, turn, would stop planting labor-intensive crops remote areas expect government admit or tolerate entry immigrant harvest them. The reforms proven be case good intentions gone awry. Instead 20-40 percent today's are unauthorized. Most employers m...