Someone enlighten me please on immigration.

[tavernier]

I am visiting for a couple of months in Indiana, and all of the political advertisements for Republicans here are screaming about the immigration at the border and how terrible it is that “these people” are infiltrating our country.

Cut to the local papers: Farmers in dire need for help to harvest crops. PS - This has been a problem for years and getting worse.

So… What am I missing here?

[Biophilic]

1. Your problem is that you have some common sense.

That makes it difficult to understand this type of thinking. I suspect you can look at a problem and come up with a reasonable answer.

[Mad_Machine76]

2. Not only that

But also recognize the border has f**k all to do with Indiana. It’s just throwing meat to the base.

[tavernier]

6. EXACTLY!

My kids live here and Want to know where the hell the border is, ha ha ha. 😂

And by the way, that Mike Braun is the biggest crook of them all.

[Mad_Machine76]

24. Agreed on Braun

I REALLY hope he doesn't become Governor. Actually, I want a Democrat to win, but definitely not Braun!

[Biophilic]

7. Well, yes, but come on, they are obviously easily confused.

Hard to tell the difference between the hills of southern Indiana and the Rio Grande.

[H2O Man]

15. But doesn't

the thought of Canadian hockey players sneaking in scare you?

[True Dough]

20. Are they wielding hockey sticks, or no?

Circle the date, H2O Man, gonna be fireworks:

BETERBIEV - BIVOL IS OFFICIAL FOR JUNE

Artur Beterbiev Vs Dmitry Bivol
June 1 | Riyadh Saudi Arabia | 175 lbs


Who do you favor?

[H2O Man]

25. Both.

My son & I take turns debating what will happen that night! A perfect example of a fight where a strong case can be made for each fighter. If I had to go out on a limb -- without a hockey stick -- I'd say Bivol makes it a "boring" fight and takes the decision. He's coming into his prime against Beterbiev, who is exiting his prime. But the last four rounds will be very dangerous. So I go with Artur by a late round TKO.

[True Dough]

26. Always appreciate your analysis, H2O Man

So your son is leaning Bivol?

[H2O Man]

29. He likes both.

But my impression is that deep down, he thinks Bivol gets stopped around the 10th. (In a good natured way, whatever good point one of us makes, the other tries to counter it. You would enjoy talking with him. He loves the sport.)

[brooklynite]

3. The need for migrant labor doesn't mean you allow anyone to cross the border at any place at any time for any reason.

You need a structured guest labor program. we don;t have one.

[Elessar Zappa]

4. We need to allow millions in.

And it should be legally. We’re currently having severe shortages in healthcare (especially nursing aides), construction, skilled labor, and other industries. And there’s not currently enough potential workers to fill them.

[RubyRose]

19. We're also short on housing for the people already here

if other posts are to be believed.

[Elessar Zappa]

22. Yes, that's true too.

We face many challenges but they’re not insurmountable if we have the right leadership (i.e Democrats being a large majority in all three branches federally as well as controlling more state governments).

[tavernier]

8. Gosh, how did I know it was you?

Yes, the farmers in Indiana do not want the rapists and murderers who are flocking across the border. They only want the people who are hoping to give their kids a better life. Much like what happened to me when I was four years old.

Perhaps a structured program is better implemented without a Maga Congress.

[former9thward]

10. We only recently have had a MAGA House.

The last immigration bill was in 1986. 38 years ago and no Congress has been willing to do anything.

[brooklynite]

14. Perhaps it is. IN the meantime, you can't have an open border.

Perhaps share your concerns with President Biden, who's looking for a way to close the open border situation?

[bdamomma]

23. but again

a plan was presented to the House with bipartisan support and was turned down by the Maga GOP by listening to that orange blob. Sickening, had a plan and they (GOP) blew it. Vote them out.

[awesomerwb1]

32. Try crossing the "open border" and see what happens

Democrats calling it "open border" like MAGAts do is less than ideal.

[brooklynite]

33. 1. Plenty of people DO cross the "open border"

“Open Border” refers to crossing without approval and not crossing at an official crossing point.

[haele]

11. We used to. But the nativists were really happy to blame immigrants -

- so instead of fixing the rather clunky pre-computers program and policies we had up through the 1970's, we got rid of it.
It also didn't help that UFW was organizing immigrants against the larger farmers and ranchers working with the big corporations.

Haele

[jxla]

16. H-2A: Temporary Agricultural Employment of Foreign Workers

https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/h2a-visa-program

The H-2A temporary agricultural workers program – often called the H-2A visa program - helps American farmers fill employment gaps by hiring workers from other countries.

[LeftInTX]

18. Exactly

[brooklynite]

21. Which requires application in advance and approval by the State Dept.

Not walking in and showing up at the first farm willing to hire people off the books.

[getagrip_already]

27. Really? to play devils advocate.....

This was never a problem before. Migrant workers came, they worked, they left.

Crime didn't really occur at any level law enforcement was overly concerned about. Disease wasn't an issue. Drug smuggling wasn't any worse than it is now.

So what exactly is this curse we are trying to solve? Historically this has been much more of a boom to us than a bust.

Politicians have made it evil. Now even so-called liberals (i use that term very loosely) are saying we have to solve the issue! or else! Biden is screwing the pooch! Oh nose! We are all going to lose!

My pearls are all worn out on this one.

Again, just playing devils advocate here, but really, what is the evil to loose immigration policy for migrant workers?

[KentuckyWoman]

5. You aren't missing anything

If white Europeans or Canadians want to come work in the fields, Indiana farmers will be glad to just rubber stamp endless Visas to do it. No questions asked.

"These people" are brown and having children.

[lapfog_1]

9. make hiring illegals a criminal offense

with a long prison sentence and the whole immigration policy issue goes away overnight.

But, bring your checkbook with a lot of money on the next trip to the grocery store or on you next hotel visit.

[Emile]

12. Republicans control the house. Republicans need

pass legislation and stop pointing their fingers.

[UTUSN]

13. Cheap labor always an issue. Was "solved" here in 1960s with "Bracero" program

Bringing in laborers, registered, specific periods/dates, returned

[duhneece]

28. A fellow El Pasoan wrote a song about the Bracero program

Phil Ochs, who also wrote ‘Don’t hate me (because ) I’m a liberal.’

?si=qrGpOhmdbJqWI6kG

[Caliman73]

30. The RACISM and XENOPHOBIA

That is what you are missing. Conservative leaders don't give a shit about immigration, legal or otherwise. They use undocumented workers to exploit for cheap labor and to depress the wages of labor from the US. Then they exploit the racism and xenophobia of their stupid followers for political gain.

Since wealthy people tend to own the media companies, they are able to influence the messaging that gets out about the sources and causes of any problems we have with immigration. Not to mention that US foreign policy and trade policy also tends to exploit resources in the home countries of the people who emigrate and come here.

We have a push/pull situation going on. The policies our corporations push in the home countries create an incentive to leave and get away, and the companies here literally pick workers up at the border and bring people to work for lower wages than are typically paid to US workers, but which are a lot higher than people would get paid back home.

The messaging from Conservatives and amplification by the media come together and you have people in Indiana screaming bloody murder about "immigrants" while farmers and ranchers try to hire those same immigrants under the table to save money.

[LeftInTX]

31. They're hypocritical and it's a wedge issue

"Crime is coming from the border. Vote for Republicans".

It's as simple as that. It's what they say, not what they do.