New Immigration Rules Could Empty Local Kitchens

Yeah, I'm sorry, but I simply don't buy the whole "employment crisis" thing. I'm no economics professor, but it seems to me that the sign of good economy is when you have more jobs than people that can fill them... assuming that's even true, which I also don't believe. I'm certain there are *plenty* of legal citizens in Dallas available to fill those positions, starting the people on welfare, which, I would venture to say, there are FAR more than enough.

Of course, I could be completely wrong and there may actually be no one in Dallas on welfare....

There are a lot of "legal" people; but they will not do what the "illegal" willing to do, in addtion to quality of work

Domingo's concern is his paycheck, without Illegal Aliens he wouldn't have a practice. As to his comment about Meat processing plants, meat processors were paying $19 -$20 an hour when Swift opened it's Cactus Plant, that has been lowered to $11 with the hiring of Illegal Aliens. This fact Megan, is aware of due to her visit to Cactus, TX and story of April 5, 2007, but fails to mention due to Bias. So illegal workers drive wages down.

The restaurant owner that would loose hundreds of employee's. Well if he has I-9's on file those Social Security numbers represent hundreds of Identity thefts and those Illegals working for him are felons.

We are a Nation of Laws that must be enforced in order to maintain our status as a Sovereign Nation.

Illegal aliens may be willing to work for less, but they are atleast also willing to work, and work hard. Not all people who are currently on welfare are looking to get out of their situation and get jobs, and high school and college students rely more on government grants and student loans to help pay their way, instead of getting a job. Also, while many businesses paid more at one point in time, regardless of the legal status of their employees or their current wages, many could not afford to pay more any longer because the people buying their products will not always be willing to pay more for the product to make up for the pay increase differential. I do not condone hiring illegal aliens who do not plan to apply for legal status; however, for those who have begun to take necessary steps, it can take years from the time that the application is filed to when it is approved - mine was filed when I was 13 and I did not get a green card til I was done with high school, then had to wait another five years to apply for citizenship unless I married someone who was already a citizen. Just the application for citizenship is over $300 and must be included when the forms are mailed in; getting a green card is even more expensive, because that process is more likely to involve legal aid, not to mention that one does not have many of the protections or benefits of even temporary legal status until the entire process is completed. There are more factors at work than the economy or the law, and there is a big difference in doing what is legally required or considered equitable justice, and doing what is right. Keep in mind that the majority of the people currently in the United States, whose families have lived here for generations, never applied for citizenship - they simply became citizens when the nation was formed and grew over the areas that they inhabited at the time. Unless they fought or supported the military in the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812 or something along those lines, most of the people enjoying the protection of their legal status did not earn it - it was an accident of birth.

This restaurant operator has been receiving "no match" letters for his 400 employees -- and he's surprised to find that they are illegal? Doesn't make sense.

Lubna wrote: "Illegal aliens may be willing to work for less, but they are atleast also willing to work, and work hard. Not all people who are currently on welfare are looking to get out of their situation and get jobs, and high school and college students rely more on government grants and student loans to help pay their way, instead of getting a job"
That's a very broad and dismissive generalization, Lubna. And it also says nothing about the people who ARE on welfare and ARE trying to get jobs but can't because those jobs are already filled with illegal aliens. Your statement implies that there aren't many of those, which simply isn't true. Also, it says nothing about students who can't get government loans or grants and can only get a job to pay for college. I would prefer having jobs available for those two groups before I would give it to an illegal alien. I'm sorry, but we have an obligation as citizens to provide opportunities for our own citizens. Charity begins at home.

Lubna wrote: "most of the people enjoying the protection of their legal status did not earn it - it was an accident of birth."

That's like saying that because your neighbor's kid is willing to mow your lawn and yours isn't, you should cook dinner for your neighbor's kid and let your kid starve.

That "accident of birth" is a tired and old ananlogy... not to mention disingenuous, since many of the people who make that argument are parents who would quickly change their minds if it actaully WAS their kid getting beat out of job held by an illegal alien.

As a conservative, I've been very vocal regarding the need to enforce existing immigration laws to the same extent that other laws are enforced. Just try disregarding income tax laws and see what happens to you. Or suppose everyone took the same attitude toward traffic laws that many take toward immigration laws. Would YOU want to drive around in an environment like that ? The rule of law is there for everyone's protection, but try explaining that to a liberal and you'll be immediately labled as a bigot. That's why I was so surprised at the unsympathetic tone of most of the comments written about this article so far. I thought most readers of the Dallas Observer were compassionate liberals. Seems like a contradiction to me. Anyone else wonder about that ?

The writer should do some research on Ricardo, more specifically the iron law of supply and demand. A surfeit of labor will drive down the costs (wages) of labor every time. The writer chooses to ignore this because she can triangulate doing such stories. That is, wring her hands in dismay about the "shortages" of labor, and at the same time extol "hardworking" migrants (sic).

A little reading of Ricardo would tell her that the employers of illegal aliens capture increased margins - read profits - from using "cheap" labor, while the general public still pays the same prices as before.

And if Ricardo fails to impress her, than she should ponder why Rob Allyn, George Bush's and Vicente Fox's mutual amigo, sits on the board of Ace Cash Express.

Hint: Ace makes millions by sending the remittances of illegals south of the border.

Hello!!! So here we are with all theses people here in our country. That came here illegal and people ask me why iam so mad at theses people. It's because they come over here and take my job which in turns takes my money from me. And sent it back to their country. And our government doesn't do a dam thing aboutit. Stop it from going out of the country ,where they go to a check cashing place stop them from sentting it. I just want a job where people speaks and understand english. That people in my town would be better off if they just stop breaking the law in hiring these illegals and hire American born and bread in this country of OUR'S. NOT MEXICO!!!. Stop being wrong in saying that we wont take jobs like that. Hell i have put in so many job app. that i have forgotten alot of them. But i know if i was an illegal i could get a job soon as i get out of the water. So STOP HIRING ILLEGALS> AND HIRE AMERICAN. And the Mr. Bush!! When he was Our Governer. He put to death about 150 people. But now he want kill someone who is on death role. Stop being wishey washey Mr. Bush.

I have to be a little petty here and tell Daniel that if it is so important to him that he work with people who speak english then he ought to learn the language himself!

I am an owner of restaurants here in Dallas and until ANY of you people have actually run a business that has a high number of hispanic employees then you're opinion is nothing more than ignorant rant as far as I am concerned. You have NO IDEA what reality is! I have managed and owned restaurants for 25 years. I have NEVER had a single employee who was paid minimum wage. 25 years ago my kitchens were staffed with college kids - primarily caucasian. 15 years ago my kitchens were primarily African Americans. For the last 10 years it has become almost totaly hispanic. It has nothing to do with wages. It has everything to do with who is willing to do this job. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CHEAP LABOR!!!! I pay more than any of the retail jobs yet strangely NONE of those people will work in my kitchen even if I pay 20% more in wages. As for offering jobs to people on welfare - my REAL WORLD experience with that has been a total failure. I'll make a deal with you Rueben - you go to the home of the "welfare" folks who you insist are available and so eager to fill that job. You wake them up and make sure they are dressed and ready for work and you get them to work on time every shift and I'd be happy to hire them! It won't happen - I've tried numerous times.

You people need to get off your high "legal" horses and face reality. Our government has royally screwed the pooch on this and left us holding the bag. Why is this now an issue that must be solved by the industries of restaurant, agriculture, landscaping, etc.? The government allowed this to happen by turning a blind eye. In 1986 I was told that I had to call the Social Security Admin to verify every employees social security number. Guess what the SSA told me every time I tried to call? "We cannot give out that information". So I eventually stopped calling and guess what? I never had any government official verify my records and I have NEVER recieved a "No Match" letter.

The fact is that there is absolutely no good fix for this issue - there is only a realistic & practical fix. That fix offends all of you who keep harping on the "ILLEGAL", "BREAKING THE LAW" aspect - but the reality is that our economy will be crippled if we "send them all back to Mexico". We need to find a way to create a path to citizenship and expedite that process so these people can become legal, tax paying members of our communities.

"Mark's" a funny man. If you buy his argument, then you must buy the argument that the native born won't do construction, won't work in factories, and won't work on military installations.

Because illegal aliens no longer work just in kitchens. They work in all the above mentioned jobs.

I think this is the problem with why things don't get done is because everyone has their own opinion. Illegal aliens have been around for decades and now all of a sudden its a huge problem. Many of these so called "illegal aliens" pay taxes I believe which benefits our society. they buy homes, cars, products that aides businesses which in turn help their employees and their families and our country. Wouldn't it be prudent to say that they contribute to our society? Some argue that they send billions of dollars to Mexico and other countries. So what! Our economy is just a part of the future and if building or buying in other countries makes life easier for the ones we love or the ones they love then so be it. That is what democracy is about. It would be selfish to think that America is self sustaining because its not. We are dependent on other countries as they are on us.

Now back to the job issue. I don't work in the restaurant or agriculture business, but I agree with these Managers when it comes to your average joe citizen willing to do the jobs that hispanics do now. I can't speak for everyone, but in the last ten years I've had maybe 5 americans apply for a job and I would not have hired them even if they paid me. I think one of the bigger problems that employers face is not knowing the backgrounds of immigrants because its not available to us or available at all. I think that knowing the backgrounds of immigrants is more important than whether they are here illegally or not. Weeding our the criminals would be preferrable to me than forcing all illegals back across the border. Most countries track information on their citizens, I don't see why they can't give that information to us or maybe our government can start sharing and communicating with other countries.

We have supposedly 10+ million so called "illegal immigrants" here in the US. Alot are productive as our own citizens and apply themselves as such. There are alot of them also that commit crimes, but so do our own citizens. Should we deport them also??

These opinions are my own!

There are alot of different issues about immigration be it legal or illegal immigrants. I find it disheartening as an American Citizen to read an article about families being ripped apart and deported to a land they know nothing of and where they have no families. Is this what we pride ourselves to being an American Citizen. We are not different than a Nazi trying to cleanse our lands of color and religion that do not coincide with our own skin tone or beliefs. Mask it all you want, but there is no good explaination for an American Citizen be it a politician, police officer, county official to tell a person to get out of the country because you are not a citizen or that your status here is illegal. these are human beings trying to provide a better life for themselves or their families. Is that not what YOU do? There may be many companies that hire immigrants legal or illegal, but not because they can pay a low wage, but because they have a business to run and to keep it running not just today, but for the future. companies must do what is necessary because they have families too. This does not apply to all companies, but since we don't know who these people are we cannot be judgemental and say that all companies discriminate or that all immigrants take our jobs away.

Skilled laborers whether they are immigrants or citizens both have trouble getting jobs, but this again is up to the employer. Noone is going to tell me who I should or should not hire. I am going to fill a spot with someone I think can do the job at the price I set and not based on whether they have a Masters Degree, American Citizen or an Immigrant here legally. I don't feel that immigrants bring the wages down in my market, the economy does that for me when Gas prices are causing my delivery trucks to raise their costs, plastic going up because Katrina knocked out some plants, electricity increases every year, employees quitting on me without notice causing more cost in new recruiting and training, etc....these are the things that bring down wages so to keep operating at a profit or break even I do what is necessary and sometimes that either means raise my prices and pass it onto the consumer or bring down my operating costs which causes me to lay off employees or bring down wages to keep more employeed. I am sure there are a million other issues that cause wages to go down and never always the ones we think about because its easier to point that finger.

People, if you've never owned a business, ran one or can think like an owner then your points of view however valid have no substance. read all the articles you want, but bottom line there are a million things that go wrong in a business and it has nothing to do with people they hire.
Our focus is negative, evil and wrong when thinking that the cure for immigration is deportation. Many of these so called immigrants legal or illegal are productive

Greater Dallas Restaurant Association wants to keep illegal aliens in the kitchen that have never had a health screen. That's right, you name the childhood disease or worse... TB, Hepatitis... CDC has a list so long it's not funny.

These people are cooking your food! No, a health card does not guarantee they are as healthy as Americans or as we expect. You could have Typhoid MaryII in the kitchen or your favorite restaurant. Yummy.

They don't care about the health and welbeing of the customer, just their bottom line profit margin. They are getting fat and you are getting sick and one day, it could cost you your life. Play with fire and you are going to get burned.

"As required by law, he had each worker's Social Security number and identification on file."

He had a fictitious Social Security Number on file, or a stolen Social Security Number on file, for each worker. Neither of which is "lawful".

Imagine the horror of actually having to verify the legal status of potential or current employees? I can not fathom that business owners might actually have to start following the law. Too hard to find good, hard-working employees, they say? Here's a thought: get rid of the ILLEGAL ALIENS in this country and start paying citizens and LEGAL immigrants decent wages and you will have no problem finding hard-working employees.
Businesses that advocate keeping illegal immigrants in this country obivously favor indentured servants and I choose not to do business with greedy "lords" who value their serfs.

I'm so sick of the sob stories, they no longer have the effect they once had. I work hard and obey he law. We have 9 (nine) guest worker programs that could have been applied for at any time. If they have been here for years, they have taken more than their share of the American dream. We owe nothing to the people that disobey our laws.Is it any wonder why the American people are tired of financing the education, health and housing for people from any county that break our laws.

last time i checked...all Caucasians are IMMIGRANTS from beyond the pond.

mark, i am a white, college student who has been working in kitchens with my father for six years. My father has been working in kitchen for his whole life eventually becoming a chef. Growing up in a kitchen gives you a perspective that most cooks do not have. All of the white employees that i have talked to agree that immigrants are stealing the jobs of white workers. I, on the other hand agree with you. These days any American that decides to work in a kitchen is either a drug addict or college student. Both are equally unreliable when it comes to being on time or even showing up for work at all. If they do decide to come to work, they do not produce the way a worker is required to in order to keep the kitchen running smooth and efficient. To make a point out of this seemingly pointless ramble, the immigrants are not "stealing" the jobs, they are simply (for lack of better phrase) "winning them" They work harder, show up on time everyday, and don't give the chef a hard time when they are asked to clean behind the oven.Anyone in the food business knows that immigrants don't work for the pay that they once did. So that presumption that many of you think to be true, is false.

I am only 18 years old and I am a cook at a somewhat high end restaurant. My father did not get me the job. I beat out immigrants twice my age for this job. If an American works hard, shows up to work everyday there is no way in hell that a immigrant will take his job. If in the future I decide to open up a restaurant of my own, I'll hire all of the Brazilians I can find and if i find an American that works hard, and shows up to work on time everyday i will keep him, and let go a Brazilian. Mark i completely agree with everything you said and everyone else just doesn't know what they are talking about.

In the late 60's and early 70's, I was a nail bender(rough carpenter)making an averge of $10.00 an hour. Today,40 years later, nail benders are still making $10.00 an hour/ Most are illegal. In almost all fields where illegals are used the wages are and have remained stagnant.Is it no wonder we cant get people off welfare and college students to work for these wages. Tution has incresed over 500 percent.rent,elect/etc.the same. think about it. even my favoite chinese resturant has mexican waiters and bus boys.

Strangely enough, I am one of those people being talked about it every comment. I am caucasion, Irish and German, to be exact. I'm halfway through a college degree and I am on welfare. I got married four years ago in the begginning of college and had three kids. My husband had me stay home with them rather than get a job so we were a family of five living on a little over 1,000 dollars a month. My husband decided to leave so now I am a white female with three kids on welfare with a stalled college education and the only job experience I have is from highschool. Working in a kitchen and waiting tables. I also used to do construction with my father, a licensed carpenter.

For the past two months I have been putting in applications every day at every possible job available. I have had exactly two interviews. At each one I was asked whether I would be willing to do the menial work required and on time I said yes. Then I was asked whether I spoke Spanish. I said yes fluently. Next I was asked if I would be willing to do my job as well as translate when the manager needed to speak with one of the other employees. I reminded the manager that was not in the job desription and if I was to be used in two different fields then I should have a pay that would reflect that. I was offered the first position as a waitress at a rate of 2.50/hr with tips and no compensation for having to perform the job as a translator. The second position was as a sautee chef and paid just above 6/hr with no compensation for translating.

Now I'm not trying to be difficult. I'm just trying to keep my family's head above water. And that means a job that has an adequate pay. When I suggested that I be paid what the job was worth I was told they had other applicants waiting in line who were willing to work for less than minimum wage and that profit was the bottom line. So don't say that there aren't citizens out there willing to take these jobs. I know plenty of people who are and I'm one of them. We can even be on welfare and not be the lazy slobs you expect us to be.

But I dare you to give a chance and hire a citizen at a rate of pay that is livable. For example 10/h at 40 hours a week is take home in the amount of just over 1400.00 a month. Rent has to come out of that. Say a single mom with two children. That's a two bedroom apartment-generally around 600.00 a month. You've got 1100.00 left. Now take out child care for while you work. That's 800 a month. You're down to 300 a month. Take out insurance for your car-required by law. Another 100. You're down to 200. Take out gas for your car at 3.50 a gallon-approximately 80 a month. You're at 120. Don't forget Electricity. You have 20 left. And water. That'll be that 20.

You are now offically out of money. And you need a phone to keep in contact with daycare and your job. That's about 100 a month no matter what service you use. Oh hey let's say one child isn't potty trained yet and still in diapers. That's about 120.00 a month. So you have nothing left in your pocket and you haven't fed or clothed you or your children and you don't have diapers and no phone service. Now say your snide little remarks about people being on welfare again. I dare you.

As a forth gen latino, It chaps my hide to have these arrogant restaurant owners under pay there kitchen help to increase there lavish lifestyle. most of these mojos (thats tex-mex for non legal latinos)that come to America live 5 or more to a house because that cant afford to do otherwise. The only reason that these restaurants do not hire legals is because of greed.