Immigrants benefit Maryland's economy [Letter]

The Baltimore Sun ^ | January 13, 2014 | Cynthia B. Rosenberg

[moonshinner_09]

Here we go again. Yet another letter to the editor ("Illegal immigrants steal American jobs," Jan. 3) blaming undocumented immigrants for all of Maryland's employment and economic problems. And, like all such letters, its argument instantly breaks up once it makes contact with the facts. Contrary to popular belief, many "illegal" immigrants entered the country lawfully and only fell out of lawful status because of the complexity and expense of trying to navigate an immigration system that is almost designed not to work for anyone. Moreover, they are neither liars nor public charges. They live honest lives and work hard to pay taxes for benefits they may never receive such as Social Security and unemployment benefits. According to the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, for 2010 alone, undocumented immigrants in Maryland paid $275.2 million in state and local taxes. In fact, according to the Perryman Group, if all undocumented immigrants were removed from Maryland, the state would lose $15.3 billion in economic activity, $6.8 billion in gross state product and over 70,000 jobs. And, on a national level, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that if the comprehensive immigration legislation passed last summer by the U.S. Senate was enacted, it would add nearly a trillion dollars in federal tax revenues.What about those terrific jobs that the undocumented are "stealing?" Well, they are largely jobs that involve manual labor performed under stressful, unpleasant conditions and therefore are frequently difficult to fill, in places such as farm fields and nursing homes where outsourcing will never be an option. If those who object to those jobs being performed by out-of-status immigrants want to lead by example and take them back, immigration advocates would have no reason to object as immigrants contribute to American society in almost every profession at every level

[moonshinner_09]

continued....Given these facts, making sure that everyone on the road is properly trained and licensed to drive, regardless of their status in the U.S., is hardly a major concession and helps to promote public safety for everyone. For that matter, in-state tuition promotes enrollment at local schools and helps students who are "stateless" by circumstance and not choice to have a chance at a future either here or elsewhere. It's sadly and deceptively easy to turn the most vulnerable among us into scapegoats for problems that can only be solved by critical thinking and cooperation. But, when it comes to immigrants, the American way is to do all that we can to keep faith with the people who have come here to keep faith with the American dream. We all benefit when we do more than worry about whether their papers are in order. Cynthia B. Rosenberg, Baltimore The writer is chair of the D.C. chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

For once I would really like in letters such as this pointing out how illegal aliens live honest lives and work hard to pay taxes for benefits they may never receive such as Social Security and unemployment benefits.How it came to be any illegal alien has employment and with what documents permit them to be in a position to pay any state or federal taxes.She claims illegals are not liars.To the extent illegal aliens are having taxes withheld from their checks indicates a lot lying took place upon applying for the job fraudulent documents had to be used. Illegals are not showing up giving only their tax id number and getting jobs from them. She is also implying that illegals we know who are using fake or stolen documents cannot share and have Social Security and unemployment benefits from the Americans whose social security card that was stolen from them is expected to share his/her social security retiremet funds with illegals using the number and also collect unemployment from the stolen number or from the fake number. It is also distrubing how illegal aliens are given employment in nursing homes.How would any illegal pass a background check to work in any nursing home. Sure illegals would never lie to the irs about child tax credits for children who could be in Mexico or who are just made up. Surely illegals driving without licenses and insurance were really not breaking the law and when they cause an accident, to see them taking off and fleeing in her world does not mean they are guilty .

[NEMDF]

They must have a lot of illegals in Maryland if they truly paid that much in taxes. Does the article seem to be factual? Was the amount of benefits they receive, costs for housing, education, healthcare, use of roads or whatever taken into account to determine a net amount?

[sickoflibs]

Baltimore Sun :”They live honest lives and work hard to pay taxes for benefits they may never receive such as Social Security and unemployment benefits. According to the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, for 2010 alone, undocumented immigrants in Maryland paid $275.2 million in state and local taxes. In fact, according to the Perryman Group, if all undocumented immigrants were removed from Maryland, the state would lose $15.3 billion in economic activity, $6.8 billion in gross state product and over 70,000 jobs. And, on a national level, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that if the comprehensive immigration legislation passed last summer by the U.S. Senate was enacted, it would add nearly a trillion dollars in federal tax revenues.”

WOW, look at all those taxes that illegals pay.

But he forgot to mention they get food stamps and EITC, and would get even more if legal.

[bravo whiskey]

dare i guess the race of the writer?

[kabar]

Contrary to popular belief, many "illegal" immigrants entered the country lawfully and only fell out of lawful status because of the complexity and expense of trying to navigate an immigration system that is almost designed not to work for anyone.

LOL. They probably came here on tourist or student visas and think that they can then turn it into permanent legal immigrant status. Our system doesn't work that way. If they wanted to come as permanent legal immigrants, they should apply in their home countries. Unfortunately, we have too many changes in status of illegal aliens who are in this country. When you reward something, you get more of it. We take in 1.2 million legal immigrants a year, more than the rest of the world combined. Immigration to the US is a privilege, not a right.

I agree with you on the issue of SS and taxes. It is against the law for an illegal alien to work here and it is against the law for someone to employ them. Using phony or stolen SSNs should be reason enough to prevent someone from being legalized. The should be deported since they are already breaking our laws being here,

[TADSLOS]

Amnesty will super saturate the nation with the kind of government dependent citizenry the left is looking for.

[Buckeye McFrog]

If illegals working under the table are actually paying this much in taxes, they are too stupid to become Citizens.

[Gaffer]

There are two venues of faux legitimization available to an illegal Mexican.

One is stealing or buying a fake social security number; the other is actually getting a taxpayer ID number. Both collect and require payroll taxes (OASDI under FICA and Medicare payments). The rest - federal and state taxes are based on the W-4.

Anybody wanna guess how many exemptions they claim and how much is deducted for taxes? Not very damn much. How can you when they claim 8, 10, 12 exemptions?

If you wanna add insult to injury? The ones with brass cojones actually take that fake SSN or that taxpayer ID number and they file for Earned Income Tax Credit, and this damn government pays them an extra 4-5 grand they magically ‘earned’ and got tax credit for. Friggin amazing.

Our own government is worse than Attila, Stalin, Lenin, Hitler and Mussolini all combined into one. They WANT this country to die. Somebody show me or point to me an article where an illegal Mexican was arrested for having a false SSN? Show me.

[Liz]

(Yawn) more Third World agit prop-—trying to convince us the border-violators are a great bunch.

If the invaders are so nice, productive and honest, taxpaying honeys, why are the homelands they’re escaping from fetid hellholes and cesspools?

[sickoflibs]

RE :”If the invaders are so nice, productive and honest, taxpaying honeys, why are the homelands they’re escaping from fetid hellholes and cesspools?”

Just to play Devils U-know-what,
they could be like those East Berliners who braved life and limb to get out to Western Europe, leaving the lazy ones behind.

Then get here and protest and demand amnesty so they can vote and get Obamacare.

[Liz]

INCONVENIENT FACTOID The Third World is pushing north at a furious pace---grabbing our tax dollars every which way they can in order to subsidize a separate Third World nation on US soil...subject only to their absurd laws and customs.

(a) The Senate amnesty bill hands blood-thirsty La Raza $100 million PER YEAR to conduct its hate-filled agenda.

(b) The Senate bill also absolves from prosecution all latinos holding US govt positions. Free-for-all graft but only if you're latino.

==============================================

Here's a litany of ways these violent drug-addled murderers and drug dealers swindle struggling US taxpayers. Greedy Dreamers are turning to violence in their unmitigated greed for more and more US tax dollars:

<><> registered to vote under several identities,

<><> involved in voter fraud,

<><> using multiple identities to swindle the US govt,

<><> rap sheets here. In Mexico. Elsewhere.

<><> receiving welfare, food stamps, SSI, free medical care, Section 8 housing, UI, Workmen's comp under several identities?

<><> falsifying US govt documents to unlawfully receive, monthly SS checks, claiming "asylum?"

<><> sub-prime mortgage obtained w/ the help of US govt agencies?

<><> making false claims on IRS forms in order to get EITC refunds,

<><> faked driver's license

<><> faked passports

<><> wire-transferring money back to The Third World,

<><> registered to vote under several identities,

<><> membership in to radical America-hating organizations preaching violence against America and Americans.

<><><> using multiple identities to get tax dollars,

<><> swindling the US govt,

<><> OBTAINING FRAUDULENT SUB-PRIME MORTGAGES? MORTGAGES THAT DEVSTATED THE US ECONOMY? THAT US TAXPAYERS WERE FORCED TO BAILOUT?

<><> riding the lucrative US gravy train:

UI, SSI, Workmen's Comp,

TANF (temporary assistance to needy families),

WICS (food assistance),

subsidized Section 8 shelter,

ObamaPhone subsidies,

Utility Assistance subsidies,

$5000 a year EITC checks per identity,

hefty monthly "asylum" checks from SS ....

cashing multiple govt checks,

forming pressure groups lying in wait for foreign aid,

<><> hidden history of criminal wrongdoing,

<><> committing felonies against the US govt,

<><> hiding large amounts of assets from the courts. Taxpayer dollars collected under several identities. Hefty bundles of US cash wired offshore ---from stiffing US banks for fraudulent sub-prime mtges (which we taxpayers had to bailout).

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Cynthia B. Rosenberg, Gringa de Mexico.

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[jospehm20]

Heritage said the average illegal alien household paid around 10K in taxes and received around 24K in “benefits” in 2010.

[Bigg Red]

Well, golly gee, I had no idea those illegals were contributing so much to Maryland. She doesn’t mention all of the community organizing the drug gangs do. Not to mention their population control efforts, accomplished through shootings.

[Bigg Red]

And just who are the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy and the Perryman Group? Probably funded by Soros.