Is it fair to pay less than minimum wage to illegal immigrants?

I feel that since the US has such open borders with Canada the US should have a more open mind towards Mexicans and rather than punishing the immigrants who are being exploited, punish the exploiters.

No I don't really think it is because it's just kind of disgusting to deny anybody the equal opportunity of trying to make a living. That's the most confusing thing about it though that we are all just trying to make a living and don't really have a guarantee of it. Besides illegal immigrants doesn't really mean anything and neither do countries. Human beings set up borders and started calling pieces of land theirs doesn't any body find that a bit weird.

They should be reported to the authorities or encouraged to go to immigration. If they are in the country because their lives are in danger, then they will be protected and steps will be taken so they can stay in America legally. The trouble is that when you hire illegal workers and pay them less, then that lowers the wage of the Americans who want the job. And these illegals do not pay taxes. As for working harder and willing to do dirtier jobs, I am sure many Americans will take low wage, hard working jobs but they want a decent wage.

They shouldn't be able to work, rent, buy anything other than what is essential to live, and they need to be sent packing. Saying they do what legal citizens won't do is a boldfaced lie that needs to be nipped in the bud. I've worked around plenty who did the worst job possible as quickly as they could so they could get to their next job to do equally crappy work. People who break the law shouldn't be rewarded.

Let me first confirm what you heard: immigrants do the harder, dirtier jobs that US citizens refuse EVEN IN TODAY'S TOUGH ECONOMIC CRICIS. I think it's very wrong that they get paid less. It's the employers that are responsible for this act. They should pay them even more then they do documented workers because they pay them CASH...therefore, no taxes. But let's say, they wanna win some too, so at least pay them minimum wage. These workers are determined, they work long hours and work in harsh conditions without complaint. They get hurt on the job and they don't sue the boss. They can get fired anytime without the two week notice. They usually don't leave the job for a better one, they keep working and settle on that first job if kept there until they are fired. These people are not criminals, they are hardworking men and women that are trying to say money to feed their families and get a better life for their children; live the American Dream, just like you and me. And some people might use the fact that they don't pay taxes against them. An argument to that would be: they do shop in the same stores as us, so they do pay taxes there. Secondly, they don't use TAX MONEY, such as on welfare, medicaid, school financial aid...and so on. I believe they deserve at least some basic respect as human beings first and there should be a good way of handling illegal immigrants, and helping them become legal citizens not just chase them around.

No, it's not fair to take advantage like that. That being said, it's not fair to American citizens to give them jobs in the first place. If they are willing to work so hard at their jobs as you say, why won't they work that hard on obtaining citizenship?

First off - if they are here and working illegally, they are not paying taxes. That raises their pay 30%. Second - I do not feel badly for people who break the law. Also keep in mind, alot of these jobs are agricultural and I dont know if you know this, but ag jobs are exempt for such things as overtime. This is in the farm bill.

I've got a lot of experience in this area, from my construction back round! I worked in Laredo TX a border town and had many illegals working for me the company needed to do this because everyone else did! In order to stay competitive you have to or you can;t bid jobs like everyone else! it's that way all over the country. I worked in New York, Dallas, Salt Lake City, and Denver! Unless everyone stops all at once, LOL, there is no solution! They are good people and would pay taxes here if they could! I've become good friends with many of them, they are like us with families and that is their priority! I'm living in Mexico for a while and the problem is getting better because of the situation in the USA but it will rear it's head again when things pick up! It's worse down here at the moment! As far as being fair, it's what ever the market will bear, weather that justifies the pay or not is tough because they really have a low quality of life while they are here, in the USA! tdemex

From my experience of living out West I know that the illegals worked harder than anyone I knew and they worked the "crappy" jobs that no one wanted. I think that they should be paid what the job is worth, if an employer can't find someone legal to work the job at 10 an hour then they should pay an illegal 10 an hour to do the job. I think that only in these bad economic times is the only time that illegals have taken jobs away for legals or citizens since when times are bad that's the only time that Americans will work any job.

This country was built on Immigrants, and i do not care what country they come from as long as they do it the way that it should be done. I have no problem with them. If they are here illegally they should not be able to get a job of any kind. and i believe that the companies that hire them should start being charged, and people should go to jail, and they should be fined. and the people that are caught here illegally should be sent back to the country they came from and should not be given a chance to come back again. If it was not so easy for them to get work, medical care, and everything else we would not be having the problem that we are having. I do not begrudge anyone the right to make a living, and make the best life that they can for their families. but their is a right and wrong way to do things, and if they do it the wrong way they should have to pay the price.

What part of ILLEGAL are we missing here? Why are we or our Government labeling these people as illegal aliens if they are getting US benefits and US jobs. It just does not make sense to say one thing and then do another. If they are here illegally and should not be here then take them home. If it really isn't a big deal that they are here, and I don't see that it is, then legalize them collect the taxes and pay them fairly as everyone else. It seems to me that the Government just wants to keep them labeled as illegal so that they don't have to be paid fairly. I am sure the government gets their 'unfair' cut from businesses to overlook who they are employing. Just on more scam out Government wants us to believe.

The minimum wages in the United States are on higher side. In fact, the wages in the entire country are on higher side. That is the reason outsourcing has been so successful. Implications are the wage scales will fall till there is an equilibrium between payment for outsourced works, and payment to the local employee for same type of work. This is also true for the type of work that illegal immigrants are doing. In their country they do not have adequate employment, and the pay offered by the American citizens for the work that these illegal immigrants are doing is quite adequate in terms of their currency and standard of living. It is their American counterparts who will be facing difficulty in managing within that amount. If the employer is happy, and if the illegal immigrant employee is happy, why should v be concerned about their pay scale, unless it is the way the legal citizens doing the same jobs can resort to for keeping the minimum wages from stagnating, or tumbling.

Employers shouldn't be able to hire illegal immigrants and if they do then I guess the immigrants can't be too choosey about their pay. My question is that if I were to go to another country illegally, how easy would it be for me to get a job in that country? Probably not too easily. I don't know what the legal steps are to becoming a legal immigrant, so I don't really understand what the deal is with them not going through the process leagally.

I dont think that's fair. Despite being an illegal immigrants, they still deserve to receive just wages from the employers because they hire them. But other employers really take this opportunity to pay them below minimum wage, they blackmailed them, and threatened them to surrender them to proper authorities so they wont have any option but to accept it and so They just put it in mind that it's better than nothing. So employers out there, if you have hired illegal immigrants, dont be cruel to them, they also need money for their living. and if they are really doing good, it's more better if you would fixed their paper to work legally in yor company. Anyway, if authorities catch you employing illegal immigrants, they will also caught you.

Since this seems to be a win win situation for both the employers and the employed, there’s nothing much the law can do and I’m sure the govt knows that too yet nothing much can be done coz we all know how influential the business community is with regards to politicians. Here in India too the situation is somewhat similar…my state has districts bordering Bangladesh and it’s a well know fact that thousands of Bangladeshis just cross the porous border in the morning, work for contractors during the day and go back again thru the border in the evening. They are of course paid less than what the Indian labourers would have to be paid as per the minimum pay rules. Yet they are happy coz they don’t even get that money back home, the contractors are happy too since they are paying less and the politicians are happy too coz they are getting hefty donations from the contractors to keep mum. So until and unless there is a genuine willpower to act in the interest of the local and legal population, there is precious little that can be done about immigration problems. We all know that what is happening is illegal but that is how the system works.

hi clorissa well just one minute take the word illegal.it means'against the law. they are criminals who stole into our'country and then feelwe owe them jobs.what part of against the law'dont you and other people understand? they should not have broken the'law.if we break the law as citizens we go to jail we do not get paid for'having vbroken the law,we dont get millions of dollars worth of insurance when we need sick care like the illegals do.we should do what we used to do, send them back to where they belong.let mexico fix their own problems not us. breaking the law means breaking the law and should be punished not helped to jobs and food and medical care.it is not fair'to hire them at all.theyneed to go back home.they Are here illegally.

Threat them fair as they also a human being. Maybe less than minimum is too much. =)