How Illegal Immigration Impacts our Members
Last week, Charles Breiterman wrote a blog that included an article written by NumbersUSA member Karl Keifer. Karl is a contractor who provided a first-hand account of the building industry’s use of illegal aliens to fulfill its labor needs. The blog has received more than 60 comments from NumbersUSA members sharing stories similar to his.
Last year, we began allowing members to comment on our blogs. For a while, we received only a handful of comments, but now, we routinely receive 20 or more comments per blog. We’ve found that it’s a great tool to hear how our nation’s immigration policies and lack of effective enforcement impact real Americans on a daily basis. It’s also helped drive our Local Power project, which is now up and running.
Often, the comments to our blogs can be quite informative and provide us with some insight to our members. Karl wrote about how illegal aliens impact the way that contractors do business and how jobs for Americans can be hard to come by. Many of your comments touched upon the same two points. Here’s a sample of some of those comments, and please add more of your own stories below.
As a union carpenter who is disabled from a job site accident, I have seen firsthand all that Karl is talking about in his article. The strange thing is being from a northern city when I travel to the south and see the wages that are being paid for my trade it is without a doubt a crime. How is it people, that in states like Georgia the carpenter is being paid the amount of money that I was paid as an apprentice thirty years ago? How does one survive, let alone get ahead in this world? Well frankly they don't, the carpenter is an illegal alien just as Karl's article pointed out.
-- Thomas1289 of IL
I was watching a news broadcast here in our area about the harvest and they interviewed a farmer then talked to some of the workers about the job which angered me to no end! Here I am along with several other American citizens out of work and I have to sit and watch them interviewing these illegal aliens. I could use that job they were doing and am perfectly capable of doing it. This farmer did not verify that these guys were here legally and I know for a fact that there are a bunch of American citizens who are more than willing to do those labor jobs, even for minimum wage!
-- Eva8815 of ID
Karl's story is not new to many of those in the construction business. For example, our niece's small family construction business in New York State has almost been put out-of-business by having to bid against companies who hire illegal aliens.
-- Robert and Doreen8684 of MT
I've myself been a victim of job and salary reductions in the computer industry, as this idiotic country sends all the middle class jobs overseas.
-- Brian0440 of NM
I was married in my twenties to a young, skilled, talented tradesman. Illegal immigration ruined his business, his career, our marriage, and his life. This was over twenty years ago.
-- Jo Ann7206 of CA
My husband came to work with the same company as me a few months ago. My boss has 3 crews for lawn care. Now the seasons changing and he's going to reduce his crews from 3 legal workers and 7 illegal aliens to 2 legal workers and 4 illegal aliens. My husband is the one legal he's letting go.
-- Diane7145 of AR
As an American construction worker I can attest to the fact that this is true word for word, I have seen American workers with families fired from jobs and the next day two illegal aliens hired in their place (for less money too).
-- Michael7582 of FL
I have been a C-54 (tile) contractor for over 25 years and YES Illegal aliens and the contractors who hire them have tried to destroy the industry. The quality is abhorrent. The one sign people are growing tired of it is when I am asked, "Do you do the work?” I am almost always hired on the spot when I tell them I do the work myself.
-- Don8079 of CA
Again, please add your personal stories below.
CHRIS CHMIELENSKI is the Website Content Manager for NumbersUSA