Posted on 08/26/2004 9:54:59 AM PDT by Smogger
Illegal immigrants use $10 billion more in government services than they pay in taxes, a study released Wednesday shows. Legalizing the roughly 10 million illegal immigrants in the United States would nearly triple that to $29 billion, the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C., reported.
Providing amnesty would allow undocumented immigrants to use many more government programs, driving up costs dramatically.
"If you bring in lots of unskilled workers, you're going to unavoidably create large fiscal costs for American taxpayers," said Steven Camarota, the study's author.
"It's not because the illegal aliens are lazy or use an inordinate amount of welfare. It's because their low levels of education mean they're going to have low incomes. That means they will make modest tax payments."
Nearly two-thirds of illegal immigrants don't have high-school diplomas, Camarota said.
The study shows the largest federal costs associated with illegal immigration are Medicaid ($2.5 billion); treating uninsured patients ($2.2 billion); food-assistance programs ($1.9 billion); the federal prison and court systems ($1.6 billion); and federal aid to schools ($1.4 billion).
The research used data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Some experts questioned the findings.
"Take this study with a grain of salt," said Stephen Moore, an economist with the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. "This contradicts what most other studies have shown, which is that immigrants help the economy. Overall, they use less government services than they pay in taxes."
Moore pointed to a 1997 National Research Council report that shows the typical immigrant and his or her children pay an estimated $80,000 more in taxes than they will receive in federal, state and local benefits during their lifetimes.
Camarota said that conclusion is misleading because the report included legal and illegal immigrants and projected the earnings of an immigrant family more than 300 years.
Camarota said illegal immigrants pay nearly $16 billion a year in federal taxes. However, he said they impose annual costs of more than $26 billion.
Barring illegal immigrants from federal programs will not save much money because many costs are due to their U.S.-born children, who receive U.S. citizenship at birth.
Other programs such as the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program are too politically popular to be cut, he said. Other costs, such as incarcerating illegal immigrants who are convicted of crimes, are unavoidable, he said.
There are only two options for policymakers who are trying to reform immigration policy, Camarota said.
"Either enforce the law, or stop complaining about the cost," he said.
Public hospitals, which treat undocumented immigrants among their uninsured patients, have seen health care costs continue to rise.
"Anyone that comes to the hospital that doesn't have insurance obviously is costing the taxpayer money," said Bob Page, spokesman for Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. "We don't ask people when they're admitted whether they're a citizen or an undocumented immigrant. We're required to serve anybody who comes to this hospital and shows up at the emergency room."
In the 2002-03 fiscal year, the hospital spent about $217 million to take care of patients who couldn't afford to pay, Page said. Included in that cost was an unknown amount to treat illegal immigrants.
Page wouldn't say if undocumented immigrants are a drain on the hospital's budget.
"We are able to find sources of taxpayer money to make sure we balance the books," Page said.
Illegal immigrants interviewed Wednesday at the Day Labor Center in Rancho Cucamonga said they came to the United States for work.
"We contribute more to the economy than the Americans who were born in this country," said Humberto Flores, a 47- year-old Ontario resident who arrived from the Mexican state of Veracruz three years ago.
"We do all the heavy work because the Americans don't like to do it," he said in Spanish.
Besides being a day laborer, Flores said he works seasonally in a nursery that deducts federal taxes from his checks. He also pays sales and property taxes to state and local governments.
Flores said he has never requested government health care, welfare or other public services in the United States. His wife and three grown children live in Mexico.
"If all the immigrants got together and decided not to work for two days, the economy of this country would fall apart," Flores said.
Nevermind, I'll do it myself. :(
ping
Expect the illegal alien pimps to come along any minute to tell us how having more illegal aliens breaking our laws would be even better.
Anyone who has ever gone to an emergency room over-run with illegals knows we spend a LOT on them.
I wonder how much this study cost us, anyone in the bordering states could have told us this information without spending a dime!
ping
Ah well this is nothing new but the politicians are used to spending money that is not theirs. I recently learned that illegal immigrants are using fake IDs to vote in my local elections. Any day now this handbasket we're all in is going to tip over.
Bumped and Indexed!
FYI
yep, this is that study I posted yesterday and pinged you on...
"We are able to find sources of taxpayer money to make sure we balance the books," Page said.
Talk about balls...big brass ones. Where the He!! does this idiot think those dollars come from? I know, he doesn't care as long as his bottom line is black and not red.
And Phoenix.
and Dallas
Oops, FITZ
FYI
Probably from funds, formerly known as SOCIAL SECURITY!
Fine, but we don't need 50 million of you. Because of our traitorous politicians, wages are lower for Americans now. Taxes are going to skyrocket to care for the uninsured among you, and our culture and language will be destroyed.
I'm not blaming the illegals. I am blaming the president and both the Democrat and Republican parties. It is like mass insanity. The Democrats have always been insane, that is a given, but I am disapointed in the Republicans. They can't wait to destroy America. And really when you get around to it - most Americans could care less.
Remember, we are letting in the immigrants because "It is fooor theeee Childrennnnnnnnnnn". Us white european christian males should just shut up...we are ruining the world.
Don't you know that if we were in charge of every country in the world every country would be just like the best areas of the US. Man what a horrible thought.
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