Latinos assail money-wiring fees

Home News Tribune Online (New Jersey) ^ | 8/6/2007 | GINA VERGEL

[Natural Law]

I'm a small tax guy, but there should be a significant tax on expatriated funds on top of the fees.

[longtermmemmory]

ok so if I want to make money off of Illegal Aliens all I need do is invest in western union.

cool.

This story just proves illegal aliens are just leftists who want to steal from the USA and the world at large. The give nothing of value. nothing.

[teldon30]

OK, it’s stuff like this that makes me remember why I don’t pay much attention to the news any more - it makes your head want to pop.

---

I know what you mean....

[wrench]

Western Union is conducting a large scale money laundering operation WRT the export of this cash.

The money was derived from illegal activities in this country. Western Union is aiding in the hiding and conversion of this cash to legitimate funds.

ALL international WU money transfers need to be filtered and siezed as necessary to stop this theft from the USA.

[Free Vulcan]

Wiring the next day is $9.99 per $1000. That’s one percent. I wish every service I used had only a 1% markup.

[John Leland 1789]

Many bleeding hearts are actually listening to these people, and many listening are in the law-making circles. So, unfortunately, our part of the war for the defense of this nation now must involve a lot of ink on paper to our representatives to make them aware that we are current on what the illegals are trying to get away with.

Most illegals come from a Marxist/socialistic mindset, use our free-enterprise system for their personal gain, and then turn around and insist on Marxist/socialist change in America, like wanting Western Union, a private company, to “return this money to the community.”

NO! We pay the Western Union fees too, when we need the service. And also, I have to pay my bank about $45 per transfer when I want money sent to me in Asia. The bank is a private corporation. If I don’t like it, I can do something else. But I will never insist that Wells Fargo “return [the fees I pay] to the community.” I didn’t give the fees to the community; didn’t intend to pay the community. I contracted with a priviate bank to perform a service for a specified amount. They make a big profit. That’s the way it works, Mr. Illegal Invader de mi Country. !!

[denydenydeny]

"They should lower those fees and give some of that money to the community,"

They should raise the fees and use the money to reimburse American hospitals for the free health care that illegals demand.

[muir_redwoods]

"so what’s it cost to send money from Mexico and Central America TO the U.S.?"

No one knows, it's never been done

[sheana]

Honduras citizen Jose Villanueva sends a portion of his monthly earnings to his family in Honduras every month.

There, fixed it. I couldn’t get past the first sentence.

[longtermmemmory]

actually just the opposit.

ALL Western Union transactions are a paper trail.

Western Union was actually recently spun off from their parent company.

These illegals could just as easily open a bank account using an EIN number and ATM the money. NOW there are some fees!

[VOA]

bump

[MrB]

My suggestion:

All money transfers to Mexico must be hand carried.

[Myrddin]

Deputize the Western Union employees as ICE agents. Require a green card, valid visa or proof of citizenship before performing a wire transfer. Detect and detain the illegals with a finders fee from ICE. Western Union is useful fly paper for attracting these criminals.

[Publius6961]

Gee. It costs too much to send money out of the country?
Maybe your coyote can start a money transfer business. ya think?

Or if it bothers you that much, mail it. And pray.

Or just don't send any and invest it in your "comunity".

[rabscuttle385]

Western Union is doing nothing illegal, immoral, or unethical. Many banks and credit unions charge $10-20 for domestic wire transfers and $20+ for international wire transfers.

As for these damn illegals, they are not the only ones making international transactions (including remittances). They should get over with their smug, self-important attitude; many hard-working legal immigrants here also send after-tax money to relatives abroad.

[traumer]

“They should lower those fees and give some of that money to the community “

In Honduras I suppose... :o)

[rabscuttle385]

Yo, Jose, here's an ideer....open a checking account!

Except he can't, because he's illegal!

They break our law and then they expect us to cater to them. The fact that this guy is simply working here to send all his money back home shows us where his heart truly lies.

He is no immigrant; he is here only to collect benefits.

[VOA]

I wish there were a way to tax it, without harming the normal international
funds transfers of US citizens.

Here's one naive proposal.

Reduced or zeroed-out rates for anyone presenting a certification
of legal residence in the USA at the wire-tranfer office.

And bump up the rates to "extortionary" for anyone failing to
present said certification; using some of the take to fund ICE
and state enforcement efforts.

OH, and pass a law requiring 10-25 years for anybody utilizing
their legal US resident status to send money for illegals.

Like Newt said a few days ago: FedEx keeps track of millions of
packages a day...but what does our Fed guvmint do in tracking illegals...

Market solutions are often the real answer to public policy conundrums.
I'm sure someone working above my paygrade has a much simpler
and more effective solution than my ruminations.

[jch10]

Western Union is probably pro immigration since it makes them so much money.

[voiceinthewind]

The Federal Reserve has a program called “Directo a Mexico”. According to the FAQ on their site, Mexico accounted for over 20 Billion, thats right, 20 Billion dollars in remittances in 2005.
The Fed reassures it’s “customers” that if they are deported to Mexico they can still access their money. No proof of residency required.