[mark_edward]

This is a ludicrous argument because the process you describe will nearly always happen. If you banned women from working, supply would meet demand, if you banned people from working unless they wore a dunce cap, supply would meet demand. The fact is that you are okay with import controls on labor, which, in any other good, you would say artificially hikes the price for domestic consumers.

[Amezarak]

The article isn't lamenting the lack of Mexicans, it's lamenting the lack of Mexicans who immigrated illegally.

The article is cheerleading illegal immigration because these construction companies and restaurants most likely got away with paying these people below-minimum-wage and were able to violate other labor laws with impunity simply because they were here illegally.

The article with rife with claims that US-born workers don't want these jobs. Well, I live in an area with very low rates of illegal immigration, and magically, all these jobs are filled with native-born inhabitants working minimum wage or sometimes (especially in the case of construction, though there's booms and busts) quite a bit better. Construction was one of the first jobs for a lot of family and friends. I worked at a restaurant for six years, every person who worked there in that time was native-born and paid minimum wage.

I find this excuse highly suspect. I think it has a lot more to do with the reasons discussed above. And I have no sympathy for employers flagrantly exploiting workers.

[slv77]

Its frustrating that all the heat has been focused on the illegal immigrants and not the small business owners that hire them.

Small business owners that hire illegal immigrants are able to out-compete business owners who chose to follow the law because they have access to a larger labor pool at lower prices. In most cases the small business owners will be paying in cash and off the books so they will be evading taxes to some extent as well. As these business expand and after above-the-board business owners see their profits erode and market share crumble a larger segment of the market is operating outside the law.

Long term having large segments of your economy routinely breaking tax and labor laws creates a breeding ground for organized crime. I could argue that all these businesses are organized crime but I'm talking about the break-your-knee type of organized crime.

Since the workers are illegal and don't have the protection of the law they are vulnerable to intimidation and it is fairly easy to find your business with a new "partner" when your labor stops showing up one day. What are you going to do? Go to the cops because the mafia won't let your illegal immigrants work for you?

At that point hiring above-the-board labor isn't an option at the prices you charge.

[mcguire]

"...most likely got away with paying these people below-minimum-wage..."

Source?

(Having the majority of your workers off the books tends to look funny.)

[Gravityloss]

Demand will also change when prices change. People are going to cook more at home and live in smallet apartments / houses.