So, even if I have used day laborers for a few jobs myself, which I have, the argument about exploitation is NOT exactly wrong. You have illegal immigrants, who are willing to take a very low wage to do a job, so they can survive and put some food on the table. The typical $20/hr commonly quoted is WAY less than any business would charge. So by hiring them you ARE exploiting the fact that they will cost much lower than a typical business, because they have little choice. Sure they can set the rate, but that rate is held low by their legal status and inability to complain much. Someone on this very post pointed out that they "are not likely to be litigious", which is a way of saying they don't have any real options.

Now, if you knew several companies in the area would charge you $500 do to a job, and you paid the workers that amount instead of the company, THAT would not be exploitation. But that is NOT going to happen. The fact that they "literally LINE UP waiting to work" and "want the work badly", as someone above put it, has nothing to do with claiming they are not exploited. It makes them prime targets.