Shortly after Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed laws strengthening penalties for human trafficking at the southern border and tightening E-Verify laws, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) spoke against the bill on MSNBC, claiming reducing illegal immigration would "devastate" the economy.
Daily Caller's Greg Price tweeted the clip, "Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL): "You're going to have vegetables rotting in the fields [because Ron DeSantis banned corporations from hiring illegal aliens]."
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL): "You're going to have vegetables rotting in the fields [because Ron DeSantis banned corporations from hiring illegal aliens]." pic.twitter.com/5LZByaS0HN
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 17, 2023
Rep. Wasserman Schultz claimed Arizona similarly experienced economic downturn after tightening its own illegal immigration laws, adding industries such as construction, agriculture, and services would suffer.
"When Arizona did the same to their immigrants in their state, [DeSantis] is going to devastate our economy. Tourism, construction, agriculture. I mean, you're going to have vegetables rotting in the fields, you're going to have construction sites that will lie dormant or certainly will struggle to get workers to be able to help make sure that they make progress. The tourism and restaurant industry in particular rely on these workers," said Wasserman Schultz.
Price then proceeded to demonstrate similar instances of Democratic Representatives claiming illegal immigrants are vital to the economy, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), and Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ).
Why do they keep doing this lmfao pic.twitter.com/WEMeBTSNM4
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 17, 2023
As with Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Pelosi claimed in September that growers asked "Why are you shipping these immigrants up north? We need them to pick the crops down here."
Rep. Johnson stated earlier this May that without migrants, "We would have nobody taking care of the construction of our homes, nobody cleaning up in the hospitals."
Lastly, Rep. Malinowski asked New Jersey constituents in August 2019, "Who do you think is mowing our beautiful lawns in Somerset County?
Gov. DeSantis' new press secretary Jeremy Redfern suggested Wasserman Schultz's comment demonstrated "The left wants nothing more than to exploit illegal labor."
The left wants nothing more than to exploit illegal labor. https://t.co/sa3M8nKUrU
— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) May 17, 2023
Former Rapid Response Director and DeSantis staffer Christina Pushaw mocked Wasserman Schultz, claiming she sought illegal immigrants to "pick her crops."
"How dare Governor DeSantis not give this Congresswoman enough illegals to pick her crops!" Pushaw tweeted.
How dare Governor DeSantis not give this Congresswoman enough illegals to pick her crops! https://t.co/9f1kFvPVVh
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) May 17, 2023
