A House of Raeford Farms plant in North Carolina that was more than 80 percent Hispanic before a federal investigation now has a workforce 70 percent African-American.
Illegal aliens gravitate to jobs in construction, farming, fishing and forestry. Yet native-born Americans outnumber immigrants three to one in construction and two to one in farming, fishing and forestry, according to Steve Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies. Illegals are thus taking jobs Americans not only will do, but Americans are doing.
The crackdown on businesses that hire illegals that has only just begun is not only enforcing federal law, but ending the exploitation of illegal aliens and opening up jobs for Americans -- black, white, Asian and Hispanic alike.
Since the 1960s, there has been a bitter battle -- breaking down along ideological and racial, ethnic and gender lines -- over affirmative action, quotas, preferential hiring, promotions and admissions to college and graduate schools, and contract set-asides.
Conservatives have insisted that if discrimination is wrong, it is not made right by making white males the victims and women and minorities the beneficiaries. Liberals argue that to advance economic equality and ethnic diversity, and compensate for past injustices, temporary discrimination against white males is an unfortunate necessity.
White fireman like Frank Ricci must be denied promotions they have won in fair competition, as African-Americans were not among those who passed the tests.
As votes on referenda in California, Washington and Michigan have shown, the American people reject affirmative action and preferences in hiring, promotions and admissions that are based on race, ethnicity or gender.
Americans believe no discrimination should mean no discrimination.
But there is a form of discrimination, a form of preferential treatment, which left and right, it would seem, may both support. It is based not on color or creed, but on nationality and citizenship.
If jobs are available in the United States, Americans should go to the front of the line to get them, ahead of illegal aliens. And as there are six Americans out of work for every job opening, it is time to call a moratorium on immigration. Why are we bringing into the United States over a million legal immigrants a year to compete for jobs against 15 million to 25 million Americans who can't find work or full-time jobs to take care of their families?
Who is America for -- if not for Americans first?