Green: Immigration laws provide no benefits

One of the most common arguments against allowing immigration to the United States (legal or illegal) is that immigrants take away jobs that would otherwise belong to Americans. But last year's harvest season proves that attempts to curb immigration may be costing American citizens their livelihoods.

In the South, recently passed laws were written with the intention of creating a mass exodus of illegal immigrants from the area. But purposefully trying to remove one element of the population, especially one that contributes so much to its economy, will inevitably affect the entire region.  

This summer, the fruit harvest season in Georgia coincided closely with the passing of HB 87, a new bill that requires employers to screen new hires through a system called E-Verify and report illegal immigrants. Fruit harvesting is difficult and labor intensive work. When immigrants fled the state for friendlier states, Georgia farmers were unable to find labor quickly enough and fields of fruit were left to rot.

"It's hard to find white folks to do these jobs. Nobody realizes it," said Drew Echols, a farm manager in Alto, Georgia. "For the guys picking peaches across the state of Georgia, that's their career. They do good work and you can't find that quality of work anywhere else."

A study commissioned by the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association estimated that the total negative impact of new immigration legislation on Georgia was $391 million and 3,260 jobs.

Over the past six months, state governments in the South have been passing increasingly draconian immigration bills like HB 87. Provisions include employee screening, the requirement of all immigrants to carry documentation at all times (the failure to do so will result in jailing), and the right of the police to detain anyone who they suspect of being in the country illegally.

Some laws make it easier for illegal immigrants to be deported, even if that means leaving their American-born children behind.

In Arizona and South Carolina, some of these laws have been blocked by federal judges, and their constitutionality is to be determined by the Supreme Court.

Moreover, these new laws aren't just affecting illegal immigrants. Many legal residents of South American origin are pulling their children out of school and leaving the states where these laws have passed.

This is understandable, given that they may now legally be jailed if they leave their driver's license at home while they're out walking the dog.

In practice, the provision allowing police to detain people suspected of being illegal immigrants has given the authorities a license to discriminate against residents based on ethnicity.

Foreigners from Europe and elsewhere have also experienced difficulty because of the new laws. Detlav Hagar, a Mercedes-Benz executive visiting Tuscaloosa, Alabama for business purposes, was jailed last month because the only documentation on his person was his German driver's license.

This kind of law makes visitors feel they have to be constantly on their guard, and if they remain on the books it will be very difficult for them to feel comfortable.

The United States is a country built by immigrants and international cooperation and, therefore, cannot afford to have this kind of atmosphere.  

Laws that lower the status of foreigners reinforce American xenophobia and build on existing anti-American sentiment abroad. Mercedes-Benz built a plant in Alabama because the state government offered Mercedes-Benz $253 million in incentives packages, believing that the plant would create jobs for local residents. Then when Mr. Hagar visited the plant, he was arrested for not having his passport on him.

If foreigners can be legally hassled in such a way, the American reputation among foreign corporations is going to decline, and it will be harder for Americans to do business.

In light of all of the negative impacts these new bills have incurred, we must wonder who actually benefits when the law makes life increasingly difficult for illegal immigrants.

"I was stunned at the audacity of the Obama administration to file suit against an individual state seeking to safeguard its people," said Gov. Jan Brewer, regarding the federal block on an immigration law in Arizona.

But what do these laws safeguard people from? Crime has actually gone down in Arizona since the influx of illegal immigrants there.

There is no proof that fewer illegal immigrants mean more American jobs. In fact, it seems the opposite is true.

The ugly truth is that, if someone were to look at the facts and still believe that these laws are beneficial, it is most likely because they just don't like having immigrants around. That's no justification for passing a law.

Hannah Green is a Weinberg senior. She can be reached at hannahgreen2012@u.northwestern.edu