News reports tell us that there has been a big drop in illegal immigration. The presumptions is that President Trump's highly public focus on the issue is deterring illegal crossings.
There has been a real practical effect -- companies that relied on illegals for labor are short staffed.
Case in point: Right here in Midland, Texas, it's hard to find a roofer. When the hurricane force wind hit this desert town in June there was a lot of damage to houses. The shingles on my tool shed were ripped off. An employee of Charles Terry Construction Company came out right away and provided an estimate along with a promise of repair within the next couple of days.
After three weeks I called to find out why they didn't perform as promised. The lady who took the call said someone would call in the following week to establish a time for the work. Two weeks later, still no call. If they would just explain their problem it would go a long way to alleviate the tension and satiate their customers. Instead, the poor ladies who answer the phone simply give false promises. Not a good way to run a business.
Hopefully, businesses in this bind can figure out a way to operate in the new environment of minimal illegal entries. The bracero program is supposed to have worked. Maybe it should be tried again.
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