Food Inc: Illegal immigrants employed in slaughterhouses

Meat-processing companies such as Smithfield’s are employing increasing numbers of immigrant workers. These workers are often illegal aliens from Mexico and other South American countries. Slaughterhouses find a subjugated workforce in these immigrants whose fear of deportation keeps from joining unions. Working in slaughterhouses has become one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. and wages are at an all time low. Furthermore, police only arrests small group of immigrants at a time so production remains unaffected at the plant.

Meat packaging companies leaders might argue that they need an immigrant workforce simply because nobody else applies for the job. Processing plants are busing in workers from up to 100 miles, sometimes across the border, just to meet domestic demands. Slaughterhouses now process up to 32 000 hogs a day, a task that requires thousands of laborers. Moreover, working at meat processing plants often gives illegal immigrants the opportunity to sustain a family either with them in the U.S. or on the other side of the border.

The fact is many immigrant workers have no other choice than to work in these meat-processing plants. Although the few corporation that own slaughterhouses abuse illegal immigrants in their private interest, workers are attracted by relatively high wages. Illegal aliens who fled their country because of personal threat or unemployment often depend on their pay to stay in the U.S. Many Mexican farmers were put out of business by the abundance of cheap American corn. Is it fair for us to stand against the employment of farmers whose competitiveness was undermined by our domestic policies?