Welcome to Los Angeles, where the real immigration policy is cheap illegal labor and the law? Well, it's just theater.
When federal immigration agents began raiding Home Depots and other businesses in the Los Angeles area recently, something strange happened:
Foot traffic vanished overnight.
Entire blocks shut down.
Sales plummeted.
And it wasnt because customers were scared. It was because the workers were. Employees simply stopped showing up. Some owners shuttered their doors. Fear gripped the heart of L.A.s commercial corridors.
The real story? That fear didnt expose a broken immigration system it exposed a network of lawbreaking employers who rely on illegal labor to line their pockets with profits.
This isnt a humanitarian crisis. Its a compliance crisis.
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Fear Tells the Truth
ICE didnt sweep every business. They didnt arrest every illegal immigrant in sight. But a few high-profile operations caused a ripple effect that left entire streets deserted and businesses paralyzed.
Why?
Because too many businesses exploit illegal immigrants. The politicians knew it. The business owners knew it. And now, so do the rest of us.
When workers vanish at the first sign of immigration enforcement, its not because theyre nervous its because theyre not eligible to work here in the first place.
Let that sink in.
The Open Secret
California Democrats love to talk about being a sanctuary state. About welcoming illegal immigration. About dignity, inclusion, and building back better.
But the truth is, theyve enabled an entire economy built on illegal labor. Low wages. No benefits. No complaints. Thats what keeps the wheels turning in industries like garment manufacturing, agriculture, food service, and construction.
And when enforcement shows up?
Panic sets in because the whole thing is a house of cards built on violating federal law.
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Who's Exploiting Whom?
The left will tell you these are just hard-working people trying to earn a living. And in many cases, thats true. But thats not the point.
The point is: the same politicians and activists who scream about living wages and workers rights turn a blind eye when businesses exploit illegal labor for dirt-cheap pay.
Where are the unions? Wheres the labor board? Wheres the outrage?
Nowhere. Because illegal labor is the engine of Californias shadow economy, and the political class knows it. They dont care about protecting workers.
They care about protecting their machine.
E-Verify Is a Punchline
Lets get one thing straight: Every employer has access to E-Verify, the federal system designed to confirm legal work status. Its free. Its fast. It works.
So why arent they using it?
Because California doesnt require it. In fact, Democrats in Sacramento have fought tooth and nail to block local governments from enforcing it.
Thats not compassion. Thats collusion.
And when federal enforcement steps in to do the job local officials wont? Democrats call it fearmongering. Business owners call it a travesty. And the liberal media pushes the narrative.
But if your entire workforce disappears when ICE shows up, you werent following the law to begin with.
The Reckoning
Progressives love to pretend our immigration debate is about empathy, fairness, and equality. But whats happening in Los Angeles proves otherwise.
This isnt about human rights. Its about cheap, off-the-books labor and the politicians, businesses, and activists who look the other way.
If a few ICE raids can take down entire commercial blocks, thats not a sign of an immigration problem. Thats proof of mass lawbreaking.
Its time to stop pretending. Its time to enforce the law. And its time to hold the enablers accountable from the boardroom to City Hall to Sacramento.
Heres a thought: If your business model depends on breaking the law, you dont deserve to be in business.
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