Immigration Reform (from a speculative romance writer's perspective)

Disclaimer.

1. It is not my intention to offend anyone.

2. My thoughts are colored by what I went through in order to immigrate legally (including health checks to prove that I was free of disease and of certain pre-existing conditions, and also that I am a well behaved citizen). And also by all the studying of the Constitution and American History necessary to pass my exams.

So, this morning I was watching CNN... not terribly attentively, I admit. The views that appear to be attributed to farmers, hoteliers, clothing manufacturers etc struck me as probably being very similar to the arguments that I imagine slave owners would have presented prior to the Civil War.

It seems logical to me that illegal immigrants work cheaply and hard because they have no other choice.

Do the farmers and the clothing manufacturers and the hotel owners believe that legal immigrants will continue to work for the same low wages as they did when they were undocumented aliens once they are legal and have other choices?

Why? Does history support this thinking?

I suspect that, once legal, the populace will organize, form unions, demand higher wages and health care plans. And the government, quite rightly, will support the rights of lawful citizens.

But, what do I know...? as the Gorilla says.