Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Hawaii

[Obie]

Talk about cherry picking !

Here is the guy Yakky used as an example.

"Last week, Rodriguez heard of farms being raided in Kona and pickers were taken away. He said he also heard of workers on Papaya farms in Hilo who were taken into custody."

Hear say. Could also be BS.

How about some real verifiable arrest records.

I provided a link to the oldest coffee producing farm on the island. The current owner says he doesn't have a problem but the guy who started up in 2013 can't get pickers. Maybe go talk to Greenwell and learn how to do it legally.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

How about some real verifiable arrest records.

Yes!
Let’s publicize the names of coffee farms and papaya farms who had workers arrested, because what will help a small business that relies on workers, replace any lost workers who might have been legal but had a 30 year old infraction on their permanent record?  Not exactly part of a benefits package for a person who knows they can be targeted for their skin color.  How does that help the Big Island agricultural industry?

[ironyak]

Obie - "Last week, Rodriguez heard of farms being raided in Kona and pickers were taken away. He said he also heard of workers on Papaya farms in Hilo who were taken into custody."
Hear say. Could also be BS. How about some real verifiable arrest records.

Without evidence, you accuse a local small business of illegally hiring undocumented workers, but then demand they provide proof for something they say they heard? Pretty rich. Reminds me of the old joke: A boozy hypocrite walks into Hawaii beach tiki bar and says "I'll have a standard, make it a double."

Edge - those of a "swarthy" complexion - Which often are coffee pickers on Big Island, often Latino farm workers from Honduras.
Also a reference to "Ozawa v. United States" in which a man born in Japan, but having studied and lived in the U.S. for 20 years, including settling in Honolulu and raising a family, tried to become a U.S. citizen, but was denied based on his race. Current conservatives on the Supreme Court and Executive Branch are also skilled at cherry-picking their evidence to support a very narrow view of reality (racial profiling for arrests is good and totally ok, but funding for Native Hawaiian programs is clearly the bad type of racism)

kalakoa - Because tariffs are going to result in onshoring.
Well that's the sales pitch for the rubes - reality is expansion of Obie's beloved H2-A visas, now at a cheaper rate to undercut wages for U.S. farm workers even more. It's almost like a permanently indentured class of low wage "foreign" workers is a key focus of American businesses and whether that's slavery, Asian immigrants, prison workers, offshoring, or exploiting work visas, the cheap labor must flow in, while the capital flows up. Not sure what's trickling down as a result, but it clearly ain't improvements on affordability or living standards for people in Puna, or elsewhere in America.

But it's Tuesday, so who knows what type of TACOs are in store. Have to wait and see - maybe Si Si's will have some specials this weekend.

['elepaio]

It is what it is .. The good ICE folks rely on Experience and Instict. Like any other professional.

You just don't like it. But will give the ok to your auto mech or surgeon.

Better have another screech sesh @ Bayfront

[ironyak]

elepaio - The good ICE folks rely on Experience and Instict.

Ah yes, who needs the professional upholding of the rule of law when there's the "Instict" of hastily hired recruits that have been failing open book exams and basic fitness requirements. Many of them may not be very akamai with the spelling either - habeus corpus is a tricky one to sound out, much less understand.

As for auto mechanics, no matter if I choose Wally's, or Lex Brodie, or the dealership, the risk and consequences apply only to me, not others, and I doubt any of those organizations would damage or withhold my vehicle based on the color of its exterior.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

The hastily hired recruits that have been failing open book exams and basic fitness requirements.

I saw one photo of a group of rotund ICE agents struggling to get out of their vehicle captioned as “Meal Team 6.”

I doubt many of them could pick coffee cherries all day long in Kona, and then haul 100 pound sacks around the farm and drying sheds.

['elepaio]

Seems they ( coffee growers ) should rethink they business model.

Thanks for making my point BTW Mr. Yak.

[MyManao]

'e says..

Seems they ( coffee growers ) should rethink they business model.

So.. a bunch of thugs.. mean assed so far outside the law they gotta wear masks kine thugs.. come over and storm some coffee farms that's been going on for something like forever just fine.. a small slice of reality predicated on a unique weather condition where the afternoon showers and an ideal temp combined with the area's volcanic substrate.. makes for growing a bean that if handled just so.. and roasted just right.. can come pretty tasty..

And 'e says 'cause da buggahs no like da thugs mess with theirs they should come up with a new plan.

Now, I know 'e's one smart buggah.. and thinks 'em all out real good long before he says anything.. so I gotta wonder. But try as I might to puzzle out 'e's thinking I come up with zip. Why they gotta come up with a new plan? Didn't the old one work?

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

should rethink they business model.

Yes!
Why don’t they cut down all their Kona coffee trees that have now become unprofitable due to the whims of one guy with multiple bankruptcies and business failures, and plant something else that will take 10 years before they get anything they can sell. Unless in the meantime, you know, more whims.

[TomK]

Drink tea!