https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/13/business/economy/labor-market-wages.html
This is a short article that investigates why certain roofers are calling for additional H2B permissions to import cheap labor. The people writing the article weren't primarily trying to do so, but because they did ask SOME of the right questions, and did refer correctly to how capitalism is supposed to work, they brought readers to the edge of various conclusions, possibly including minimum wage raises.
The way that capitalism is SUPPOSED to work, relative to wages, is that when workers are needed, and no one is willing to work at the proposed wage, the wages are supposed to rise. The employer in the article says that she can't offer higher wages, because she would have to charge more for her company's services, and would lose business accordingly.
What's left out of the story, is that that is ALSO supposed to be how capitalism balances itself. When people want to buy something, and no one is willing to sell it to them for the amount they are offering, they are supposed to raise what they are willing to pay.
All of the so-called self-balancing of costs and wages and prices falls apart, however, if cheats and work-arounds are allowed. The roofer in this article would NOT lose business to competitors, if the competitors had the same limitations on wages, because they would have to raise prices the same amount as she does.
Bringing in foreign workers, means that this economy is purposely directing part of it's wealth away from itself, into the economy of another country. The wealth that the foreigners create through their labor, goes back to their country of origin. That defeats the whole point of capitalist competition.
Wages are held down entirely artificially in this way, and the cost of living is allowed to remain high, and even increase. When it does, local workers become even harder to find, instead of easier.
The implied support for raising minimum wage, is that competing companies who MUST give living wages by law, would no longer be tempted to help foreigners drain away the wealth of the local economy.
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