Stephen Colbert tries to take job from illegal immigrant
Stephen Colbert has teamed up with the United Farm Workers of America to have unemployed Americans sign on as farm workers in an attempt to demonstrate that illegal immigrants are taking jobs that Americans don't want.
Stephen Colbert is photographed at his office in New York in 2008. Stephen Colbert teamed up Thursday night with Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America, in a challenge to unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs.
Jim Cooper/AP/File
Phoenix
The host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" teamed up Thursday night with Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America, in a challenge to unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs.
The union has been asking Americans to fill out an online form under the banner "I want to be a farm worker" at www.takeourjobs.org.
Mr. Rodriguez says that so far just three have responded and were in the fields.
IN PICTURES: The US/Mexico border
"Make that four," the comedian replied emphatically.
The US Labor Department says more than half of farmworkers are illegal immigrants. The UFW argues they're not taking jobs from Americans because most don't want the work.
Proponents of tougher immigration laws respond that the problem with the UFW's proposition is that growers don't want to raise wages and improve working conditions enough to attract Americans.
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