Exploitation of workers, whether they be legal or illegal immigrants, is just plain wrong and illegal. This happens all over the country everyday, not just on farms. Calling this the new slave labor isn't much of an exaggeration.

This is one of those news that are not *really* news. Everyone knows it but nobody cares.

But people SHOULD care. Regardless of your feelings about immigrant workers, at least some of these people were here on legal work visas and as such should be treated with the same respect that any other worker should. In my opinion, this treatment should never be alright regardless of a worker's status.

I agree, illegal immigrants should be treated with respect and lawful work practices regardless of their status. These employers are the ones hiring illegals, so don't blame the person and dismiss this abuse thusly and let the employer get off for two crimes: hiring illegals and treating them like slaves.

In the South, this isn't really news. We have so many immigrants here (legal and illegal). The illegal ones especially will work for anything... and we have several people who exploit that. I haven't heard anything as serious as this story, but I still find it wrong. People are people and shouldn't be treated like slaves. And don't get me started on sweat shops and child labor.

wtf nobody cares that a general and _________ statement.

even if they were here illegally people aren't complaining when they pick them up to do odd jobs and pay them below minimum wage, and most do it to get ahead not to take advantage, but of course you have those that do just like any other immigrant, it always baffles me that the Mexicans always get generalized as the bad people.

ummmm duh. This is old news and its a little off putting that it is just being discussed now. Our country should do something to protect workers, whether they are immigrant or not. We need to enforce the labor laws. In doing so, the price of commodites might go up, but that is just what it takes.

Yeah, its so funny that people complain (that's being nice, more like rant and rave) about illegal immigrants but then also go ahead and complain that prices for produce or other goods are too high even at walmart. You can't have it both ways!

Well isn't the same with the Iraq war? We were friends with Saddam, let him kill and murder for years because we got the goods, then when turned around and tried to make deals with France, deals that leave the US and Britain out, the US and Britain go WMD hunting and then turn it into a liberation...when really the point is the French deal with Saddam didn't go through. Even when Saddam was first toppled, soldiers were told to guard the oil and ignore the borders (unfortunately that hasn't worked out so well).

The same people who complain about gas prices complain about the war. I wonder if the option was $1 gas for the next 50yrs and a short war (as it was expected to be) just to remove Saddam and replace him with someone else more cooperative, or $6 gas b/c we would have to compete for it with too many states - I wonder what people would choose.

"The Mexican workers were in the country legally under the H2A visa program, which enlist foreigners to do seasonal farm work for at least minimum wage. Immigrant rights groups have criticized the program for weak worker protections."

I don't know anything about the H2A visa program, but I do hope this tidbit of info helps their case. Also, a bit off-topic, but shooting their stray dog? Really? Pathetic.

"Calling this the new slave labor isn't much of an exaggeration."

I agree. Its exactly what I was thinking while I was reading this.
I hope they do something about this problem because honestly its just disgusting how these people treated them...then to kill a dog to make a point? please...

no its not the same as the iraq war......tangent much.

"illegal immigrants should be treated with respect and lawful work practices regardless of their status"

I have to disagree. If you come over illegally, you should be treated as such. If you took the time to come in legally, you should be afforded the same protection as everyone else. This employer is a dirtbag.

So UnDave, to clarify, you feel if an employer is breaking the law by hiring illegals to begin with, then they might as well just continue to break laws to would guarantee these workers basic rights?

I agree with UnDave and diadem - both parties (ie employers and employees) should be punished and they are both breaking the law.

CaterpillarGirl, its not really a tangent, I've had this discussion with lots of people before who complain about war and gas prices in the same sentence. Illegal immigrants, sweatshops in Asia, and importing Chinese goods are in the same boat. People want it both ways, to ease their wallet and their conscience.

I'm not even criticizing the Iraq war, just pointing out to some political motives behind it, realistic motives. If I start talking about how badly we screwed up what could have been a good thing, then I'll be on a tangent. But the analogy is the same.

I would assume with the FBI probe if there were illegal immigrants they would be deported. Doesn't mean the employer is off the hook for unfair labor practices for illegals and those with visas and for hiring illegals.

This is why we need stronger border security and REAL immigration reform. If they are not allowed to get over here, and it weren't so easy for them to stay, this would not be happening.

And that employer should be punished harshly.

Well, illegals shouldn't be working here, anyway. But, with that said, I feel that everyone should be treated fairly and with dignity.

Actually this would still be happening because many of those workers were on guest worker visas. Employers all over the country will continue to exploit the poor and unskilled with illegal working conditions unless labor departments have the man power and will to enforce our laws.

OMG that just horrible. How do you treat people like that? Where do these kind of people come from?

So if you are an illegal immigrant someone has the right to abuse you because you are in the country illegally??? It's that f**ked up way of thinking that leads to awful deaths and people going we didn't know but yet those idiots are the ones who turned a blind eye to people suffering. I hope for your sakes you never have to be immigrants illegal or legal and that when you are in trouble people won't turn away from you because of your status. UGH I get so mad!!!!!!!

I would expect situations like this to get worse in the months to come as everyone looks to cut costs and more people are put out of work.
Every person should be treated fairly and with dignity; no one should think they have the option of judging another's value. With half a million more jobless claims just reported, 'there but for fortune...' is pretty important to remember.

Well I am guessing with so many people out of work, the legal citizens will start going to the fields to start work there. And I think this whole illegal immigration thing will be more in the eyes of every citizen. Hopefully the bad economy will light a fire under congress' butts to fix this issue, before things get ugly.

legal citizens will be going to the fields to work??????? the fields?????????

yep!!! my parents applied at several local "fields" when they were out of work. They didn't get hired, wonder why? But before you go off acting alike hard working citizens won't do that kind of work, just look in your history book at the great depression. A lot of those people had nice jobs before. When times get tough, you do what it takes to support your family. Or do you think they would just go on welfare?

Hainan, you can't be serious? You really think citizen are really going to go work in the fields.

yes myst I do. Why can no one believe this. Not everyone wants to go on welfare!!!!!!!!!!

oh i thought you meant legal immigrants. I doubt that people will work the fields if people won't even work for a fast food chain do you think a lot of them can do back breaking work in the field anyway it's going to be a bump ride for the next year that's for damn sure.

As Nyarad said, most people here frown just at the thought of working at McDonalds or even a farm, let alone going to go work for in the fields, picking strawberries and lettuces.

Why do you think the US have for the most part lost it's labor industry and had them shipped to countries such as China, India, and other South Asian countries. The American people don't want those jobs. That's the reason why, it's stressed for students to go to college and get college degrees and avoid vocational school and work. We are a capitalist nation, where entrepreneurship and corporate work is rewarded and hard labor is scoffed at.

nobody should be treated like this regardless of their legal status. nobody "deserves" this and for sure nobody "is asking for it".

Wow. The reason that we don't have those some of those jobs here is because we impose absurd measures such as the "minimum wage," which is more than unskilled labor such as strawberry picking is likely worth.

Hainan I think citizens not wanting to work on fields has less to do with wanting to be on welfare and more with the stigma and general disrespect we give to working class citizens. Benefits and the minimum wage are public testimony to the lack of respect for what I consider equally important important labor as any desk job, maybe even more so when you consider that we eat what these people harvest.

Organic isn't it nice that you don't have to pick strawberries then since you feel that people who do that deserve less than someone is sitting behind a desk taking calls a t a switchboard and facebooking all day.

It's pretty horrible how they are being treated. Migrant workers usually end up being paid less than minimum wage without benefits, and are still treated like crap.

Here's a question: what should minimum wage be, then?

Kranky, minimum wage should be IMO $7 for national level, however each states should set it's own minimum wage depending on the cost of living. A person living off a $7 will be pretty ok, in most of the states, and do even better in places such as Florida. Living off of $7 dollars is hour, can do someone who's living in Niceville, Fl, pretty fine, since its pretty cheap to live there, and a person living in Miami, Fl could be just as fine as well, even though it's twice as expensive.

an*

Minimum wage should be a living wage.

Unfortunately that would put you in Crapsville California Myst

No one should be physically harmed or abused, regardless of their status as legals or illegals.

However, people who come here legally as guest workers should get whatever protection they are given by the laws that surround the guest worker policies. If that includes the minimum wage, then that is what they should get.

If you come here illegally, and you are an adult, and you decide to work for $2, then that is your decision.

There has to be some distinction between legal and illegal immigrants, otherwise what's the point of having laws?

Hainan, your comment about building a fence doesn't make any sense. The individuals that this case is about are LEGAL.

So no concensus yet on minimum wage (I got one yes and one no for $7). As for minimum wage being a living wage - how on earth would you define that?

I'll start with round II anyway: who should get minimum wage? Assuming that minimum wage is the base, what is the cut-off for receiving more?

lol Blue, that's why I said, each state should set their own but Nationally, $7 is pretty good, depending on the cost of living. I don't know anyone could co live off of $7 in New York or California, but in a lost of places like the Carolinas and Georgia, where the costs of living is pretty low, they could be fine.

"No one should be physically harmed or abused, regardless of their status as legals or illegals.

However, people who come here legally as guest workers should get whatever protection they are given by the laws that surround the guest worker policies. If that includes the minimum wage, then that is what they should get.

If you come here illegally, and you are an adult, and you decide to work for $2, then that is your decision.

There has to be some distinction between legal and illegal immigrants, otherwise what's the point of having laws?"

I agree with pop.

pop the distinction is that an illegal immigrant can get deported while the legal one cannot and the issue isn't the minimum wage so much as how they get treated, they may choose to work for $2 but they don't choose to get their asses kicked it's comments like these that make me think no wonder why the world now just dislikes America. Human rights people human rights, you like them practiced on you so practice them on others.

kranky, it's so hard to figure out a national minimum wage when within one state $7/hour would be OK in some places and not in others.

As for making more than minimum, I think you need to have some skills of some kind. To me, unskilled labor is minimum wage.

I never said they choose to get their asses kicked. I was very clear that they should not be abused in any way.

But IMO, you can't have it both ways. You can't come here illegally and expect to have all the rights of a citizen, and that includes the right to be paid minimum wage.

That doesn't mean I'm anti-human rights. People all over the world get paid way less than that. Does that mean all their rights are being violated?

Nya-

The world does not dislike America. Individuals might, but the world does not.

An America is not the only country where hateful things happen. I refer to the defacing of a Muslim graveyard in France that we read about earlier in the week as an example.

nyaradzom, pop said in his first sentence that no one should be abused or harmed. So are you equating working for $2/hour as abuse?