[theBuckwheat]

We are spending $5.8 billion to keep these people in jail, a good fraction of which are here illegally. Are we saving any money by not hiring as many border patrol agents as we really need? Yet we have millions to spend on solar powered outhouses, hall of fame museums, and studies of mating habits of double breasted mattress thrashers- and even enough to fund PBS!

[BenLurkin]

We should charge the originating nation for the cost of housing their criminal nationals.

For those from oil producing states: one barrel of oil per day for each of their criminals we are housing.

[theBuckwheat]

I beg the freeper's forgivness. That $5.8 billion is the cost for several years, not for one.

>>totaled approximately $5.8 billion for calendar years 2001 through 2004.<<

The operative words are totaled and through.

[GarySpFc]

We are spending $5.8 billion to keep these people in jail, a good fraction of which are here illegally.

That is the total ONLY for illegal immigrant FEDERAL felons, which comprise one-fifth of all federal inmates. However, when you include illegal immigrants in the state prisons the number comprises one-third of the prison population of the US.

[Peach]

Five BILLION dollars a year to incarcerate illegals who commit crimes? How about just sending them back and securing the borders?

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

So what do they spend OUTSIDE of California on the Illegals?

/sarcasm

[Teflonic]

It's time to privatize the prisons.

[ozarkgirl]

At the local level, in fiscal year 2002, SCAAP reimbursed about 750 local governments for incarcerating about 138,000 criminal ... We estimate that 4 of these 5 local jails spent an estimated $390 million in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 to incarcerate criminal aliens and were reimbursed about $73 million through SCAAP.

Isn't that just what the Feds paid back? States are complaining like crazy they are having to fund the majority of the cost as indicated above, cost $390 million, reimbursement $73 million. That's just for local jails which actually I guess is funded by the counties?

[Serenissima Venezia]

We are spending $5.8 billion to keep these people in jail... Yet we have millions to spend on solar powered outhouses... and even enough to fund PBS!

And THAT is adding insult to injury!

I wonder when the RNC is going to get it - every time I return a request with a donation with a "I'm donating to the Minuteman Project instead until Bush apologizes for the 'vigilante' comment and enforces existing laws" note, I get 2 or 3 more requests in the mail the following month.

[DumpsterDiver]

We are spending $5.8 billion to keep these people in jail, a good fraction of which are here illegally.

It's hard to know how much we're really spending. Was that GAO report combining the totals of SCAAP plus the amount to incarcerate illegals in the federal prison system?. SCAAP has never fully reimbursed the cities, counties and states for incarcerating illegal aliens.

Bush budget would make border states pay for federal immigration failures
February 7, 2005

In the proposed budget Bush released Monday [2/7/05], funding for SCAAP -- which helps states cover the costs of jailing criminal illegal immigrants -- gets wiped out. States would be on their own to cover the costs of Washington's failed immigration policies.

As it stands, SCAAP was already underfunded. Last year, Congress appropriated just $305 million for the program, but the cost for border states to imprison criminal illegal immigrants is closer to $1 billion.

It's between $80 million and $100 million for Los Angeles County alone, and only $13.8 million of that comes from Washington.

The White House argues that SCAAP funding is no longer necessary because it's beefing up security on the nation's borders.

Does anybody know how SCAAP is doing in regards to the new budget?

[television is just wrong]

IS THAT ALL???

[NRA2BFree]

I'm with you! I think we ought to load them ALL up in planes and drop them out over Mexico City!! From 30K feet.

What I want to know is when are Americans going to say "enough is enough" and march in force on Congress and make OUR voices heard? I see the Mexicans protest and they ALL stick together. As soon as Ted Kennedy and John McCain push their new immigration amnesty legislation through it's going to be too late.

[stboz]

May I suggest a spelling change.....from incarcerate

to....incinerate.

I mean....it's justa few letters.......might be worth the money.......

< / sarcasm>

[Travis McGee]