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Claudia Wilson
Bellefonte
Let’s not be like Florida. Apart from hurricanes, Florida has fallen on hard economic times. Its agriculture is suffering significantly. According to The Florida Policy Institute, the state's immigration law has cost $12.6 billion this year alone.
Why has this happened? Very simply, when unauthorized immigrants left Florida because they were afraid of rigid new enforcement of immigration laws, there was no one left to pick the crops. Farmers are now wondering whether they can keep their farms if the situation continues. Towns that were economically vibrant because they provided lodging and goods to immigrants became ghost towns. The result is that produce has become more expensive, so Florida cannot compete with states that do not have such immigration enforcement.
Florida is an example of what might happen to the U.S. if Trump is elected President and starts deporting every suspected unauthorized immigrant he can find.
Throughout the country, there would be no one to pick the crops. There would be less produce at the supermarket, and that produce would be more expensive. According to FarmProgress.com, agriculture accounts for 30% of U. S. jobs. Can we afford this risk?