Fresno Bee 7-day series: Are we in denial about illegal immigration?

[Newsjock]

Source: Fresno Bee

The Fresno Bee spent months interviewing more than a hundred farmers, public officials, experts and illegal immigrants. The goal: to explain how inconsistent laws, policies and attitudes have made illegal immigrants a central — yet hidden — part of the San Joaquin Valley’s economy.

The contradictions are everywhere: Americans want illegal immigration to stop, but they enjoy the benefits of cheap goods and services. Lawmakers won't force businesses to verify the legal status of their workers. And the government provides free services to illegal immigrants, whose taxes do not cover the services they use.

... One out of 11 workers in California is an illegal immigrant, with most coming from Mexico, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. And the central San Joaquin Valley's multibillion-dollar agriculture machine — the economic engine that drives our entire region — is fueled mostly by the labor of illegal workers, according to surveys and industry leaders.

Nov. 14: Overview
Nov. 14: Fake IDs
Nov. 15: E-Verify
Nov. 16: ICE
Nov. 17: Budgets
Nov. 18: Jobs
Nov. 19: Visas
Nov. 20: Consumers

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/indenial/index.html