by Jack Reeves
The president says he will delay executive action on immigration until after the midterm elections. Politics.
But immigration is basically economics and ethics. U.S. farms heavily rely — almost 80 percent — on low-wage foreign workers, mainly Mexican. Half of these workers are undocumented. This cheap labor helps keep down food prices, particularly for labor-intensive fruits and vegetables.
The major objection to a path to citizenship is that it would reward unauthorized immigrants who broke the law.
However, farmers who hire millions of these individuals don't seem interested in their status — arguably, breaking the law.
And aren't those who purchase and consume foreign-worker grown, picked and packed fruits and vegetables, including me, accessories to crime?
Many who disparage unauthorized immigrants and oppose the Dream Act base their opposition on their contorted definition of right and wrong — perhaps while enjoying an avocado with some wine.
I eagerly await the president's executive action in a couple of months.
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Greed and exploitation trumps human rights. We can allow poor people to slip in and work for us if it is good for the profit margin. Or, we can turn our eyes away from the horrible abuses of people young and old in sweat shops in other countries as long as they can make our products for pennies and enable us to make mega-dollars hand over fist.
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