A Real Discussion on Immigration
This nation has never had the conversation on immigration that it actually needs the one that asks how we got here, why tensions are rising, and what kind of society we want to build.
Instead, we get sound bites and photo ops. Politicians from both parties offer slogans, not solutions. They tell us these are jobs Americans won't do, and that we need immigrants to keep prices low. That is the full extent of the conversation. It is not honest, and it is not enough.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Today in America, 42% of agricultural workers are undocumented immigrants. So are 23% of construction workers. This is not a system built on fairness it is a system built on exploitation.
We have created an economy that depends on people who live in the shadows. Millions of workers who are essential to our daily lives, yet remain vulnerable, disposable, and frequently abused. The conditions endured by much of our undocumented workforce are not far removed from indentured servitude. That should trouble every one of us, regardless of where we stand on immigration politically.
So let me ask the questions that most politicians refuse to ask. Is it morally acceptable to build a society that depends on exploiting undocumented immigrants? Is that the country we want to leave to our children and grandchildren one that runs on second class labor? And here is the most important question of all. Does it have to be this way?
The answer is no. Most of the developed world does not operate like this.
What Other Countries Have Figured Out
In Canada, undocumented labor in agriculture and construction is virtually nonexistent because they built a functioning guest worker program. Nearly half of Canadian farm workers are foreign born, but they arrive legally, with contracts, housing, and enforceable labor protections.
Germany fills its seasonal harvest and construction jobs with temporary workers from Eastern Europe again, legally and transparently, through bilateral agreements and clear rules.
South Korea, a country with one of the lowest overall immigration rates in the developed world, still brings in foreign workers for farms and construction sites through structured permits tied to actual labor market needs. And crucially, while doing so, South Korea is also investing heavily in automation to reduce long term dependency on manual labor.
None of these countries have sanctuary cities. None of them look the other way. They match immigration policy to economic reality, they protect workers, and they enforce their laws. They are also investing in the future in automation, robotics, and smart farming to reduce the need for mass manual labor over time. That is exactly what America should be doing.
A New Direction
Let us stop pretending this broken system is inevitable. Let us stop relying on underpaid, undocumented labor as the foundation of our food supply and housing economy.
Here is what a serious approach looks like. First, invest in technology robotics, automation, and agricultural innovation to reduce the structural demand for exploitable labor. Second, build a modern guest worker system that matches labor supply with actual demand, includes real worker protections, and is fully transparent and enforceable. Third, restore respect for the law not through mass roundups and spectacle, but through a system that is fair, clear, and consistently applied.
This is not about shutting the door. It is about building a door that actually works.
And on the subject of mass deportation. What is the point of spending hundreds of millions of dollars, deploying enormous manpower and resources, going door to door rounding people up if the underlying economy still depends on undocumented labor and will continue to attract more people here? There is no point. You are not fixing the problem. You are not solving anything. You are staging an expensive performance while the root cause remains completely untouched.
There are approximately 11 million undocumented people living in America today. That did not happen overnight. It is the result of decades of Congress failing to do its job choosing political theater over real solutions, election cycle after election cycle.
If we want an immigration system that is fair, secure, and functional, we need the courage to change the one we have. That means real investment including public dollars in transforming industries like agriculture so they are no longer structurally dependent on an exploited underclass. It will not be easy. It will not be cheap. But it is the only approach that actually solves the problem rather than just performing outrage about it.
The budget for ICE went from 10 billion to over 100 billion. There is a better way to spend that money. This policy is the better way. If win the election for Congress in 2026 , I make this commitment to the people of Washington and to the people of America. You will get more from me than you are currently getting from the members of Congress who have let this problem fester for generations.
Kincaid for Congress
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