California may have been one of the only states never to have allowed slavery, but it has long employed a different type of subjugation in the form of illegal alien slave labor. Ergo, is it any wonder that the recent anti-deportation riots started in the Golden State?

The real motivation has now been made crystal clear. According to a study conducted by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, mass deportation of illegals would cost the state $275 billion. California is the fourth-largest economy in the world. The state generates $4.1 trillion annually, and with illegal aliens making up 8% of the workforce, there will be ripple effects should those workers be repatriated to their home countries.

The study attempts to spin the work these illegal aliens do as “bring[ing] extensive experience and deep skills to critical roles that benefit all Californians — from growing and cooking food, cleaning homes and offices, building housing, caring for children and the elderly, and ensuring packages are packed and delivered.” But that’s just putting lipstick on a pig. What they mean is that employers can pay these workers very little and put them in worse, less safe, or even dangerous conditions, and the workers have no recourse to challenge or change their situation.

When leftist elites ask, “Who will do these jobs?” — which are low skill — they mean they don’t want to pay what it takes to hire American workers.

California has also used illegal aliens to fill in the gaps because Americans are fleeing the state due to leftist policies and the rising cost of living. According to the study, “Immigrants in recent years have played a major role in buoying California against a shrinking population and declining workforce, both symptoms of economic stagnation.”

Meanwhile, CBS News has a story about how illegal aliens in California are afraid to go to work because they might get deported. In Los Angeles, union bosses are working with the city government to try to impose rent freezes on illegal alien housing just so their workers don’t self-deport. According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News: “The unions say renters make up more than 60% of L.A. residents and many now face the fear of deportation, and many families may not be able to cover rent if a family member was taken into ICE custody or if they have family members choosing to stay home from work out of fear.”

We’ve tried this terrible idea before during the COVID lockdowns. It bankrupted landlords and stunted the economy. It also puts Americans last. However, leftists haven’t met a terrible idea they don’t like and won’t stubbornly try again.

Here is the harsh reality: California is ground zero for this reliance on the illegal alien workforce. Much like the revelation from The Wall Street Journal earlier this week, perhaps California bosses should make working conditions more bearable and pay people better. Then Americans might want to work there.

California has built its economy on a house of cards. If President Donald Trump removes the base by deporting illegal aliens, California’s tightrope economy will come crumbling down. It will also expose the ruination that the state has brought on itself through poor governance by chasing away its citizens.

It’s no wonder the state’s residents started riots against the enforcement of immigration law. Follow the money.