ALL NON-CITIZEN FOREIGN WORKERS BEING DEPORTED

A “what if” scenerio for the food industry.

FARMS AND FOOD MANUFACTURING PLANTS CLOSING THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES

The United States government today enacted the “No Papers No Pass” rule for foreign workers within the United States.  It is the most sweeping legislation concerning immigration reform ever passed.  Amazingly, it is also the most supported bipartisan legislation to come out of Washington, D.C. in decades.  Although the American people denounced it overwhelmingly in national polls, it passed both houses with very little opposition from either side of the aisle.  Senator Andrew Baxter of Kentucky was quoted as saying “It is important that our constituentcy understands that there are times in American politics when the politicians know best what this country needs more so than the voters.”  

The legislation effectively requires immediate and complete deportation of all immigrants regardless of years in the United States, to their home country.   Even the children of these illegal immigrants born in the United States must return with their parents until they reach 18 years of age at which time they are permitted to return to the United States and apply for Birth Right Citizen status.  Some of the key elements of this bipartisan legislation are:

1.        Immediate $25,000 fine per occurance for any employer hiring illegal workers.

2.       Immediate $10,000 fine per occurance for any landlord renting property to illegal workers.

3.       Fines and possible imprisonment of all individuals, regardless of citizenship, found aiding illegal workers.

4.       Immediate revocation of all work visas and visiting worker program paperwork.

5.       No proof of citizenship documention means immediate deportation without due process of law under the constitution.  The Constitution is declared “non-applicable” to the persons “unable to positively prove and establish United States citizenship.”

6.       Political asylum will only be granted to those whose lives are being threatened directly by home countries and only if that danger is acknowledged by the home country.

Although many industries are being crippled by the new rules, the reform has had some immediate catastrophic results in the farm and food industries and is causing shortages and widespread losses with the country’s food supply.  Fruits and vegetables are rotting on the trees and in the fields because even the automated means of harvesting some of these crops do not have drivers willing to do the work.   Not enough workers are available to harvest those crops that require manual harvesting methods.  Owners are finding themselves plowing under cash crops which normally would go to market immediately.

Feed lots, poultry farms, and other large scale food animal operations have all but ceased operation.  One source from White Meat Turkey Farms told this reporter that the turkey houses across the plain states that they operate are seeing entire houses dieing from lack of food, lack of animal care, and overall poor hygiene of animal barns and living spaces.  “There just ain’t enough people to do the work.”  He said on condition of anonymity.  Entire structures are being bulldozed, structure and carcasses, into massive trenches to avoid disease and cover the odors of death and decay.   Some of the piles are being amassed and burned.  Black smoke plumes carrying the smell of burning feathers, meat, wood, and waste can be seen dotting the horizon for miles reminding many of the burning oil well scenes of the first Gulf War in the early nineties.  

Those facilities that are able to produce are unable to find the ingredients and suppliers they may need for their production.  Sugar refineries, flour mills, egg suppliers, dairy processing, corn processing, and every other concievable ingredient harvested, refined, or produced is seeing serious shortages of available labor.  Goods such as cocoa, cinnamon, spices and other imported food stuffs are suffering since all other markets can not produce without the domestic ingredients.

Food shortages are causing panic on Wall Street causing blue chip food stocks to loose 80% or more.  Manufacturing facilities are closing their doors because there are no workers to process and pack the food products.  There are some isolated pockets of manufacturing still possible in South Texas where the Hispanic population is three and four generations removed from illegal immigration, areas of the Oklahoma where the indigenous Indian population is still available, and across Mississippi and Alabama where unskilled white and black labor populations have yet to be filled with the migrant labor  populations of Hispanic or Asian countries, as has happened elsewhere in the country.  California is also seeing some relief because of its multi generation Hispanic and  Asian populations.  Many of these workers are demanding higher salaries and benefits as a result of the increase work load and dependance on this unskilled work force.

Walmart and other large scale grocery operations who lobbied against such legislation, hedged their opposition by setting huge import contracts with foreign food producers.  Products from South America, Europe, and Asian countries are quickly taking the shelf space of domestically manufactured food supplies on store shelves.  The FDA and USDA have relaxed food safety rules to allow these items to come to market in a more timely manner to avoid food shortages and the threat of hunger.

National Guard troops are being deployed to oversee the orderly and timely deportation of illegal immigrants.  Thousands had already fled back to their home countries when this legislation began to gain traction in the House and Senate.  Fear of violence and fear that the jobs availible in their home countries would fill quickly, led to the mass exodus.  Some governors have had to declare martial law and enact strict curfews because of violence and backlash from their immigrant communities.   South Los Angeles saw riots and unrest as the governor of California,  Alejandro Martinez, a third generation Mexican American was handcuffed and led away by federal marshals for refusing to acknowledge the legislation and ignoring demands by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office,  the agency responsible for leading the implementation of the laws.  

More widespread opposition was expected, however, most Americans seem to be dumb founded and in a state of helplessness and shock from recent events as they see people torn from homes and lives in the United States and sent back to their home countries.

In New York City, Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, under the direction of Homeland Security, along with New York City anti terrorism teams are sweeping immigrant neighborhoods for violators of the laws.  Buses of these individuals are being taken to staging areas near ports along the Atlantic coast.  At last count 367 buses carrying over 40 passengers each have been dispatched.  With an estimate of over 500,000 undocumented workers in New York City alone, it is an impossible and volatile task.  These individuals will be deported immediately as they are processed.  ICE representatives indicated that some resistance was met, but the use of newly manufactured tranquilizing rounds and cannister emitting smoke that can subdue large crowds by causing massive blackouts, were effective in controlling the violence.  Cities across the country from San Francisco, Houston, Memphis, Detroit, New Haven and others reported similar enforcement and action in their cities.  Some political officials balked at the new laws, but knowing that as a provision of the legislation all federal funding would be cut from any state that does not completely support the implementation and enforcement of the law caused most state leaders to quietly back the measures.

States such as Arizona and Alabama who had already passed sweeping immigration reform that resulted in serious economic struggles have yet to recover.   These struggles have served to cause near collapse in state budgets and stalled all industry growth.  This example may have been overlooked by the new federal government legislation.

Larger than originally estimated populations of Eastern Europeans and individuals from various countries in Africa have been found throughout major cities in the United States working without the proper paperwork.  These individuals are also being detained and shipped to the various centers at our countries borders.  Polish, and Hungarian nationals in Chicago have already seen many of their countrymen flown out of the airport on Deportation Flights to their respective countries.   

A cost savings for the United States have been immigrant refugee camps that have opened just inside Mexican and Canadian borders welcoming the displaced illegal workers.  Both countries, in preparation for the legislation, identified infrastructure and established relationships with U.S. companies willing to move agricultural and food production just over borders to Mexico, South America, and Canada.  While the United States will suffer from the laws involved in “No Papers, No Pass” the economies of the countries with the foresight to expand manufacturing with the plentiful work force will prosper and see double digit growth.  Those not placed in employment will still face deportation to their home country. 

Academia is also feeling the pinch as some of the brightest minds from other countries are dealing with the reality of deportation with the revocation of their work papers.  Representative Barbara Fister was quoted as saying that “It’s time for smart American’s to step forward and prove they are smarter.”  

Despite the fact that League of United Latin American Citizens, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Italian American Federation, The American Foundation for Irish Heritage as well as a host of other minority based organizations opposed the bill that became the law, the legislators were not swayed.  New York Senator Antonio Leone, an Italian American, said “It is time to draw a line in the sand as established citizens, and if you have not yet crossed that line into American citizenship, you have lost the lottery and need to go home.”

The cost of food is expected to increase by 45-60% until other means of growing, harvesting, and producing can be established.  Many brands will cease to exist, restaurants will close, and the American public will find that the variety that they have enjoyed for so many years will disappear from shelves and pantries.  The food an farming industries may well be the hardest hit segment of the U.S. economy.    Our country is headed for an full economic collapse in the wake of legislation that is founded on isolationaism, predjudice, and irrational arguments.   

The food industry has become the new economic bubble collapse that will eclipse the subprime mortgage from earlier in our history. At last count over 16 million people are part of the food industry and account for over 15% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product).  Farmers, exporters, restaurants, disposable goods, transportation, and all the industries that are part of the food industry infrastructure in the country are showing signs of instability.  Coupled with the industries that support, and export for the industry, the GDP affect could be as high as 30%.

Despite the dire predictions of leading economists and professionals in the industries hardest hit by the legislation, the President today asked for calm and control from the true American people during this most difficult of times.  She indicated that her administration felt that in 6-9 months, the country would regain a point of stability and focus.   Quoting the government promotional material in her speech today, she said, “We will rally around the flag of the United States of America, one people, one focus, one common citizenship.”  

With the history of the United States being founded and built on peoples from other countries, one must ask what would have happened if the first settlers had to first pass through immigration?

Undocumented workers in the United States could be around 11 million according to the Center for Immigration Studies.  Some estimates put it as high as 20 million.  Undocumented workers are a major portion of our country’s infrastructure.  Whatever the eventual decision is to address the issue, let us hope it does not include this type of legislation which, at state levels, is already happening.

Written by Anonymous