How did America do it before this huge influx of illegals?
Huge corporations tend to use the Federal guest worker programs that have been in place for decades. Even smaller responsible Companys do the same.
If you believe that illegals are all working for low wages you just might want to visit a new housing project being built, local factorys along with some skilled trades and see who is working and ask them what they make.
When we went to Russia, once we got on Aeroflot we were surrounded by Russians - barely an English speaker on the plane and once we were in the air, we noticed all of the Russians moving around the plane and picking better seats (apparently, it's not uncommon for Russian flights to be a little sparse).
One person was an overly talkative Russian who chose to sit by *ME*. I think it took a half hour to slowly convince him I really didn't want to talk.
But I found out he made GREAT money - by any standard - working as a guest worker on the oil rigs in the Gulf. He had that look of someone who worked a LOT in the sun and with his hands - a young man with an older face.
From his discussion, I learned he made the trip back to St Petersburg often. And he mentioned that such jobs are in high demand for Russians looking for work - any day, he said, you look at the American embassy - they're not there to immigrate, they are there for the jobs. Long lines.
On the other hand - over the last *30* years I have made friends and acquainted myself with dozens of people here working under the table for construction and so forth where they make crap wages, paid in cash, no benefits.
I have to think that, while there are difficult jobs that pay WELL, there's LOTS of work that pays terrible but illegal immigrants get away with it, because they work for wages that are better than they get at home, but would be unattractive to any American worker. I've met any number of businessman who employ illegals because their competitors do - no bids, no jobs, and illegals work for a lot less. I am pretty sure my niece - a die hard liberal who gets IRATE at the idea of illegals sent packing - some of my relatives tell me, she employs a LOT of illegal workers. It's why she's so successful. Everyone thinks she's a great business leader, but her fortune is predicated on cheap labor.
Now I have heard of stories of jobs not being filled in poor parts of the country - people just won't take them. I find that a little hard to believe; I don't think we are hearing the whole story. I had gone from a good paying job as an entry-level engineer - to struggling to find ANY work, thereby spending many years working crap jobs in the heat, in the snow, in filth and working long hours for jerk bosses - because I needed the money.