Stalled Immigration Reform Has Direct Impact On Nation’s Economy
Aug 24, 2012
Miami, FL (Law Firm Newswire) August 23, 2012 – The hot debate over immigration reform never quits. It is one of the few issues that has significantly polarized the country.
“It’s one thing to debate an issue into the ground but quite another to finally get off principles and do something,” said Larry S. Rifkin, a Miami immigration lawyer and managing partner at Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff. “The great immigration reform debate has resulted in no compromise and no clear solution.”
The longer politicians willfully ignore immigration reform, the more harm will come to the agricultural industry. This is not a new concept, but it is one that cuts straight to the heart of every American. The agricultural industry puts food on the table. If there are no immigrants to work the fields to harvest the fruits of farmers’ labors, crops will be short planted, harvests will have lower yields, food will be scarce, prices for food will skyrocket and people will go hungry.
“It’s a simple equation,” explained Rifkin, “either farmers have a large enough labor pool to harvest their crops or not. If not, the consequences spread like ripples in a pond.” Currently, the immigration system is a complete mess, something everyone seems to agree on. However, nothing much has been done about it, other than raiding farms and other industries and then deporting the workers who keep the agricultural economy vibrant and alive.
Like it or not, immigrants are an essential component of the nation’s food chain, and that extends to other agri-businesses like tobacco farms, apple tree farms, the seafood industry and Christmas tree farms. The longer the federal government takes to do something constructive about immigration reform, the more each state takes an economic drubbing, and the buck does not stop there.
“Take a look around at other states, and you will see that stepping down farm production is already happening. In South Carolina and Georgia, farmers have cut back their production for the year. They are afraid they will not have enough workers to harvest the crop,” stated Rifkin. In Georgia alone, the state immigration law has cost them close to $391 million in lost production, which is hardly a piece of good news, given the tough economic times.
What many Americans do not seem to realize is that for every job lost in the ag-sector, the nation loses approximately two jobs in the ag support business sector. Overall, that is three jobs lost, and the hole keeps on getting deeper. “When is the government doing to do something about it? Good question. Immigration reform will be on the table again after the election. Who will be stuck handling it is another question. A lot is riding on the implementation of immigration reform. Our economy depends on it,” Rifkin added.
To learn more or to contact an Orlando immigration attorney or Miami immigration attorney, visit http://www.rifkinfox.com.
Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, P.A.
1110 Brickell Avenue
Suite 210
Miami, Florida 33131
Toll Free: (866) 681-0202
