...on Nantucket recently when local police in conjunction with federal authorities (ICE) led "soft" raids - doors were knocked on rather than kicked in -  simultaneously throughout the island community.  The round up of 18 illegals was said to be in response to a recent escalation in violent crimes taking place on the island. Local police called federal authorities for help when they noticed the rash of crimes involved foreign workers.  

   Our slice of heaven faces real world challenges too.  Immigration - legal or otherwise - is dear to our hearts and minds.    Every year the Cape faces labor shortage issues and each year we look to other countries to supplement our needs.  The past couple of years has been a challenge to all of us using the existing twenty year old guest worker program.  A couple of years ago the program started to fail so Congress put in place temporary measures to repair and extend it while they worked on a national immigration policy.  So while the two parties are playing politics on its provisions businesses, labor and immigrants are on edge not knowing what the future may hold for them.  

   How, might you ask, do illegal aliens get jobs, let alone come into the country. What's with the crime they bring?  What are they doing in a small bedroom community like Nantucket?  Well the first question is the easiest.  The remoteness of the island, the lack of readily available seasonal labor exacerbated by a broken and expiring guest labor program, AND desperate businesses that will look the other way. (If you remember, even our former govenor - Mitt Romney - was chastised for hiring domestic illegals to do his family yard work!)    The crime issue is a more complex matter but I'll take an educated stab at it and say illegal work doesn't pay all that well and surely doesn't bring in the best of characters in some cases.        

What's the solution?  I can only speak for our resort but something in the mix that allows us to keep our loyal, hardworking foreign staff.  A guest worker program is needed  to fill seasonal positions that the local labor force is unable to.   

More on the staff that serves you.

Read more about touring Bass River...

I

Credits:  

*Cape Cod Times - various articles