Study: Wages rose after immigration raids

WASHINGTON, March 19 (UPI) -- Wages and employment increased for legal workers after raids on six Swift & Co. meat-packing plants in several U.S. states in 2006, a study indicated.

Noting that the plants raided were back in production within five months, Jerry Kammer of the Center for Immigration Studies said there was "good evidence" that the number of U.S.-born workers increased, concluding that the plants "could operate without the presence of illegal workers," The Hill reported.

The non-partisan center examined what happened after raids on Swift & Co. facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas and Utah, in which 1,300 undocumented workers were arrested. Another 400 workers without authorization to work in the United States were found through company screening.

The study estimated about 23 percent of the plants' employees weren't authorized to work in the United States, the Washington publication said.

Swift didn't provide information about how its workforce changed, Kammer said, adding that the meat-packer also recruits a large number of refugees who are legal immigrants.

"At the four facilities for which we were able to obtain information, wages and bonuses rose on average 8 percent with the departure of illegal immigrants," Kammer said.

Kammer said Swift used pay increases and signing bonuses to staff the plants after the raids.