Posted on 02/25/2017 3:14:01 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
As President Donald Trump prepares to deport millions of immigrants in the country illegally, a new national study shows undocumented workers pump billions of dollars into Connecticut’s economy each year.
The New American Economy, a coalition of mayors and business leaders who support “sensible” immigration reform, found that the nearly 130,000 undocumented Connecticut residents pay $397 million in annual federal, state and local taxes, account for $3.1 billion in household income and represent $2.7 billion in spending power.
“This research proves what we’ve known for years: Immigrants are a boom to our local economy and in every community in America,” said Lucas Codognolla, an undocumented Stamford resident and executive director of CT Students for a Dream.
The new immigration policies announced last week could potentially result in deporting 11.4 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.. The Trump administration has stopped short of targeting more than 700,000 people who entered the country as children and are protected by immigration orders issued by former President Barrack Obama.
Opponents of Trump’s policies say the new rules are draconian, and the New American study bolsters arguments that peaceful, law-abiding undocumented immigrants provide value to American society and should not be deported.
“I have clients who have been here a decade,” said Alicia Kinsman, managing attorney for the International Institute of Connecticut in Bridgeport. “They own businesses and are buying homes. If there was a line they could get into to (obtain citizenship) they would find the money to get into that line.”
J.R. Romano, the state’s Republican Party chairman, defended the president’s plan, noting undocumented immigrants are breaking the law, and he said the cost of that illegal behavior exceeds what those workers provide in taxes and buying power.
“Look at Bernie Madoff,” Romano said, referring to the convicted Wall Street trader who stole millions from clients. “How much did he generate in taxes? Does that mean his crime was any less? If you violate the law, that’s illegal. We are a nation that has been successful because of our belief in law and order.”
Big impact
The New American Economy study found both legal and illegal immigrants benefit the state’s economy, noting Connecticut’s 494,059 foreign-born residents make up 13.7 percent of the population and pay $5.1 billion in state and local taxes.
Legal immigrants in 2014 held $13.8 billion in spending power, owned 116,343 homes, accounted for 42.1 percent of the building services industry and 57.8 percent of the computer software designer industry, the study found.
The state’s 129,884 undocumented immigrants include 13,028 entrepreneurs, and collectively paid $145 million in state and local taxes. About 79 percent of undocumented immigrants are of working age, the study said.
Nationally, immigrants earned $1.3 trillion in 2014 and contributed $105 billion in state and local taxes, and almost $224 billion in federal taxes.
“There are many compelling reasons why having a large undocumented population is a problem for society,” the study noted. “It undermines law and order, permits a shadow economy that is harder to regulate, and is simply unfair to the millions of immigrants who have come here legally.”
But the New American study said the data also shows a large number of undocumented immigrants are working, paying taxes and starting their own businesses.
“They also play an integral role in our economy, often filling jobs in agriculture, construction and hospitality that would otherwise remain vacant,” the study said. “This is true in Connecticut, where undocumented immigrants contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes each year.”
“Live without fear”
State Rep. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, has introduced a bill in the General Assembly to repeal the state’s “drive-only” law that allows undocumented residents to obtain licenses for driving only, not proof of citizenship.
Sampson said he introduced the repeal bill because Connecticut is creating a climate that draws immigrants to the state illegally. “I think it’s dangerous to create incentives that make Connecticut a desirable place to go,” he said.
The New American study, Sampson added, is an insufficient argument for living in the state illegally.
“I don’t think that paying taxes is enough,” Sampson said. “Money should not be the end all reason to violate the law. We should amend legal immigration. Most who come in legally want to make a life for themselves. But they have to do it legally.”
State Rep. Chris Soto, D-New London, pointed out the financial benefits of undocumented workers as he spoke last week against repeal of the drive-only law during a public hearing before the General Assembly’s transportation committee.
“Ask businesses owners what the impact would be on their businesses and how this would impact the number of construction jobs,” Soto said. “This brings out of the shadows people who want to comply with the law.”
Anghy Idrovo, an undocumented Danbury resident and a CT Students for a Dream organizer, said the drive-only law helps his family get to work and make a living.
“Having a license has allowed my family and me to drive and live without fear,” Idrovo said. “If this program is taken away, I will be afraid every time that I drive myself to work or drive my brothers to school, or every time my parents drive to work to support my family.”
Other Democratic lawmakers pledged to quickly kill the bill.
“We are trying to give these individuals an opportunity,” said State Rep. Antonio Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill and co-chairman of the transportation committee. “It’s a good thing, not a bad thing.”
‘A different side’
Philip Bern, a Stamford lawyer who specializes in immigration, said he hears talk about how undocumented residents take up space in schools, hospitals and use other public services that they don’t pay for.
“None of that is true,” Bern said. “Large sectors of our economy depend on their labor, such as agriculture, construction and restaurants. They babysit kids. They pay a lot in taxes. There are economists who say they more than pay for themselves.”
Kinsman said since Trump announced his plan she has received non-stop calls from immigrants seeking help and advice.
“My phone has not stopped ringing,” Kinsman said. “I’m getting calls from 30 or 40 new clients a day, ranging from green card holders who are terrified to undocumented clients who want to take their children out of school. This is making us less safe. They are afraid to call the police.”
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, said Trump’s policies are wrong for America.
“This plan threatens to rip apart families and strip away key legal rights, making us no more safe, and betraying American values,” Blumenthal said. “By prioritizing every unauthorized immigrant, this plan effectively prioritizes no one, putting fear-mongering over sound policy and public safety.”
Romano said he understands immigration reform is a difficult issue, and conceded some people will be harmed by Trump’s policies.
“But there is a different side to this,” Romano said. “People who are doing everything that they are supposed to be doing are being negatively impacted by this. I’m proud to live in a nation that people are trying to get into. But that does not mean we should throw away the rules. The law is the law.”
Right... That's how $50,000,000 was heisted from one address in Atlanta. Over 20,000 tax returns filed using TINs to claim refunds from the IRS.
Exactly - and ditto for legal aliens. The Left supports this because they get the votes of the aliens.
The New American Economy, a coalition of mayors and business leaders who support “sensible” immigration reform, found that the nearly 130,000 undocumented Connecticut residents pay $397 million in annual federal, state and local taxes, account for $3.1 billion in household income and represent $2.7 billion in spending power.
They start with the fallacy that even if these people have 2.7 billion to spend that they spend it in Connecticut, they send a considerable amount back to their home countries, then there is the fact that they are illegal and it is a Federal offense to hire them and that also means they took a job from a Citizen or legal resident, are those Americans receiving state aid? How much of this supposed billions are the illegals sucking back out of the state in social programs they don't pay into, because despite what the author says they don't pay federal income taxes, they probably get free taxpayer money back each year claiming very little if any income and numerous dependents.
I'm really tired of the liberals whole BS argument that illegals contribute more than they take, it's ridiculous.
What I was thinking is they’re getting 10s of thousands each from got in one form or another and that counts towards the “billions” being pumped.
Let’s say there’s 200k illegals there getting 10k each from the govt. That would be 2 billion.
But I dont think they have that many there, right?
Only racist leftists who want slaves from Mexico want this to continue.
Not sure how many illegal make their way to CT unless the welfare system is more generous than other states.
Seems to me I just read the average of benefits received was $24K, with $10K coming back in taxes—I question that number. But it yields a net loss of $14K each year. Close to your $10K estimate.
There are plenty of ancillary costs that don’t get added in—ER visits, law enforcement, etc. If we’re being honest, we have to acknowledge that illegals put extra strain on the system.
Or a drug dealer being an undocumented pharmacist.
Do it. I am proud as an American that we are rich enough as a country that we can honestly help people who are in need. Absolutely no shame in that. Now, those who game the system for a lifetime of living on the dole? No so much.
My prayers are with you. May God bless you as you begin to conclude your present journey and move on to your next phase of life.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.