Fill jobs with legal workers from state

Federal immigration authorities this week detained 136 workers suspected of being illegal immigrants at a Springfield, Mo., poultry operation. Most of those arrested were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. We can only wonder why it took law enforcement so long to recognize what was so blatantly obvious.

Many industries in Missouri and elsewhere are dependent on cheap, foreign labor. This is no highly guarded secret. But until recently, federal officials seemed to have turned their heads the other way. A renewed interest concerning the impact of illegal immigration has prompted the feds to begin taking action.

I can't help but wonder why businesses cannot find qualified workers without resorting to illegal immigrants. For starters, I would assume it does not take major skills for the most part to work in a poultry operation. So are they telling us that entry-level workers cannot be found without going outside of this country? I just don't buy that argument.

Here's part of the problem. I believe this country has been so overly generous with many social welfare programs that some of our population find it more financial beneficial not to work at these entry-levels jobs. In other words, much of this problem is of our own making.

But simply because we have installed a system that creates this mess doesn't mean we abandon all principles and turn to illegal labor.

Maybe, just maybe, some industries should consider paying their workers a fair wage and that would attract more legal applicants. Granted, consumers may then pay a higher price for their products. But isn't it better to boost prices to consumers a bit instead of hiring illegal workers who will put a substantial pressure on our taxpayers in the long run?

I hope the feds continue their efforts to remove illegal workers from our state. Their task is formidable. But the rule of law is more important than any other aspect in our society. We need to keep that in mind.