Spring is when we’re spurred on to outdoor projects – planting, painting and paving – which many of us undertake on our own steam or with the help of affordable contract labor.

Our thoughts also turn to gem-like juicy strawberries, fresh plump artichokes and tender-limbed asparagus – seasonal delights accessible even to those of us on a limited budget.

But that may not last. If immigrant contract labor is no longer available at minimum wage, analysts say that remodeling and home improvement costs could skyrocket beyond the means of average homeowners.

And the absence of migrant field hands from south of the border willing to work for below-market wages could drive the prices for seasonal delicacies like strawberries, artichokes and asparagus beyond ordinary means. Think, for example of paying $50 or more for a flat of spring strawberries rather than $15 or less.

Deporting the 12 million or so undocumented immigrants from the United States would immediately hamstring not only construction and farming, but also hotel, restaurant, landscaping, fishing and meatpacking industries, among others. The economic impact on the United States would be catastrophic.

Long-term projections are even grimmer. With nearly 55 percent of the U.S. workforce set to retire in the next two decades in what is an increasingly tight labor market, a dearth of workers to fill unskilled positions could lead to economic collapse.

Adding to the nation’s fiscal woes would be the $215 billion-plus price tag over five years of rounding up and removing up to 12 million undocumented immigrants.

That there are compelling reasons to secure U.S. borders and reform immigration law is indisputable, but it needs to be done thoughtfully. Jay Taylor, the president of Taylor &Fulton, a tomato grower who employs about 1,000 immigrants in Florida, Maryland and Virginia, characterized the situation best.

Of the recent acrimonious congressional debates on immigration reform, Taylor said, “It was a dinner cooked in a pressure cooker. What we need is something that comes out of a crock pot; something that is well thought out, well-planned and well-executed.” But he warned that a hostile atmosphere wouldn’t produce legislation that’s reasonable, just and fair to everyone.

While individual Americans, descendants of the nation’s past immigrants, profit directly and indirectly from the surplus of immigrant labor, as a nation we continue to treat them as second-class citizens.

Documented and undocumented immigrants have demonstrated their willingness to do menial work for wages Americans turn down. Through their tax contributions, immigrants support a government that denies them status and benefits. They’re willing to assimilate to the extent possible under the circumstances. Many are even willing to risk their lives for America – they make up five percent of total military enlistees. Of the more than 60,000 serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, 95 percent are not even naturalized citizens.

Faced with the challenge of overhauling immigration laws, the United States has an enviable opportunity to make the most of an offer we shouldn’t refuse from scores of earnest, faithful, hard-working folks. Their quest for a chance to earn comparatively better wages and raise the standard of living for their families at home and here, while admittedly undertaken illegally, presents a viable solution to America’s growing paucity of unskilled human resources.

Given that industry leaders see a reasonable balance in labor supply and demand under the circumstances, it’s hoped that federal lawmakers produce legislation that honors both America’s and immigrant workers’ needs and their inherent mutual responsibilities and obligations. Anything less gravely jeopardizes our moral and economic future.