Bush Speech Ignores Criminal Aliens

During President George W. Bush's televised speech on the issue of illegal immigration, not once did he mention the hordes of criminals entering the United States and preying upon American citizens.

How often we hear the news media lamenting the fact that the US incarcerates more and more convicts each year. Want to reduce the incarceration rate? Then reduce criminals to enter the country illegally or enter legally but remain here illegally.

Some may accuse me of gross hyperbole when I say that the government of Mexico uses the US as their penal system, but truth be told, tens of thousands of criminal aliens who come into the US are from Mexico and our federal and state prisons, and local jails warehouse these lawbreakers at the expense of US taxpayers. Not only that, but the US provides an abundance of crime victims for these killers, robbers, rapists and child molesters.

When the United States incarcerates criminal aliens--noncitizens convicted of crimes while in this country legally or illegally--in federal and state prisons and local jails, the federal government bears much of the costs. It pays to incarcerate criminal aliens in federal prisons and reimburses state and local governments for a portion of their costs of incarcerating some, but not all, criminal aliens illegally in the country through the Department of Justice's State Criminal Alien Assistance Program managed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Some state and local governments have expressed concerns about the impact that criminal aliens have on already overcrowded prisons and jails and that the federal government reimburses them for only a portion of their costs of incarcerating criminal aliens. Congress requested that the General Accounting Office provide information concerning criminal aliens incarcerated at the federal, state, and local level. For the criminal aliens incarcerated, the state and local governments that received reimbursement through SCAAP, only received about 25 percent of the costs .

At the federal level, the number of criminal aliens incarcerated increased from about 42,000 at the end of calendar year 2001 to about 49,000 at the end of calendar year 2004--a 15 percent increase. The percentage of all federal prisoners who are criminal aliens has remained the same over the last 3 years--about 27 percent. The majority of criminal aliens incarcerated at the end of calendar year 2004 were identified as citizens of Mexico.

It is estimated the federal cost of incarcerating criminal aliens -- Bureau of Prison's cost to incarcerate criminals and reimbursements to state and local governments under SCAAP --totaled approximately $5.8 billion for calendar years 2001 through 2004. BOP's cost to incarcerate criminal aliens rose from about $950 million in 2001 to about $1.2 billion in 2004--a 14 percent increase.

Federal reimbursements for incarcerating criminal aliens in state prisons and local jails declined from $550 million in 2001 to $280 million in 2004, in a large part due to a reduction in congressional appropriations. At the state level, the 50 states received reimbursement for incarcerating about 77,000 criminal aliens in fiscal year 2002 and 47 states received reimbursement for incarcerating about 74,000 in fiscal year 2003.

For the 5 states incarcerating about 80 percent of these criminal aliens in fiscal year 2003, about 68 percent incarcerated in mid-year 2004 reported that the country of citizenship or country of birth as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or Cuba. Four of these 5 states spent about $1.6 billion to incarcerate criminal aliens reimbursed through SCAAP during fiscal years 2002 and 2003. Estimates are that the federal government reimbursed these four states about 25 percent or less of the estimated cost to incarcerate these criminal aliens in fiscal years 2002 and 2003.

At the local level, in fiscal year 2002, SCAAP reimbursed about 750 local governments for incarcerating about 138,000 criminal aliens. In fiscal year 2003, SCAAP reimbursed about 700 local governments for about 147,000 criminal aliens, with 5 local jail systems accounting for about 30 percent of these criminal aliens. The 147,000 criminal aliens incarcerated during fiscal year 2003 spent a total of about 8.5 million days in jail. Mexico leads as the country of birth for foreign-born arrestees at these 5 local jails in fiscal year 2003.

It's estimated that 4 of these 5 local jails spent $390 million in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 to incarcerate criminal aliens and were reimbursed about $73 million through SCAAP. It's believed that the federal government reimbursed these localities about 25 percent or less of the criminal alien incarceration cost in fiscal years 2002 and 2003.

(Sources: US Justice Department, US Bureau of Prisons, General Accounting Office, American Federation of Police, National Association of Chiefs of Police)

This received in email today...

First Hand Knowledge

This email is from a retired former co-worker of mine, whose wife is a teacher in the Riverside area, and has been for many many years.

The attached is first hand knowledge...

As you all listen to the news about the student protests over illegal immigration there are some things that you should be aware of.

As most of you know my wife is in charge of the English-as-a-second-language department at a large southern California high school, which is designated a Title 1 school, meaning that its students average lower socio economic and income levels. Most of the schools you are hearing about-South Gate High, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park, etc.-where these students are protesting, are also Title 1 schools.

My wife tells me that 100% of the students in her school and other Title 1 schools are on the free breakfast, free lunch program. When I say free breakfast I'm not talking a glass of milk and roll...

but a full breakfast and cereal bar with fruits and juices that would make a Marriott proud. The waste of this food is monumental, with trays and trays of it being dumped in the trash uneaten.**

She estimates that well over 50% of these students are obese or at least moderately overweight. About 75% or more DO have cell phones.**

The school also provides day care centers for the unwed teenage pregnant girls (some as young as 13) so they can attend class without the inconvenience of having to arrange for babysitters or having family watch their kids.

She was ordered to spend $700,000 on her department or risk losing funding for the upcoming year even though there was little need for anything; her budget was already substantial. She ended up buying new computers for their computer learning center; half of which, one month later, have been carved with graffiti by the

appreciative students who obviously feel humbled and grateful to have a free education in America.

She has had to intervene several times for young and substitute teachers whose classes consist of many illegal immigrant students here in the country less then 3 months who raised so much hell with the female teachers, calling them "Putas"-whores-and throwing

things that the teachers were in tears.

Free medical, free education, free food, day care etc., etc., etc. Is it any wonder they feel entitled to not only be in this country but to demonstrate for rights, privileges and entitlements? (THINK ABOUT THAT?????)

To my conservative friends: I hope you're really proud of how George W. Bush has helped to sell-out this country with his pro-illegal policy. I voted for him too, but on this issue he is a disaster.

To my bleeding-heart liberal friends who want to point out how much these illegal immigrants contribute to our society because they LIKE their gardener and housekeeper and they like to pay less for tomatoes:

spend some time in the real world of illegal immigration and see the TRUE costs. Higher insurance, Medical facilities closing, higher medical costs, more crime, lower standards of education in our schools, overcrowding, new diseases etc., etc., etc. For me,

I'll pay more for tomatoes.

We need to wake up. The guest worker program will be a disaster because we won't have the guts to enforce it. Does anyone in their right mind really think they will leave and return voluntarily?

There are many hardworking Hispanic/American citizens that contribute to our country and many that I consider my true friends. We should encourage and accept those Hispanics who have done it the right and legal way.

It does, however, have everything to do with culture:

A third-world culture that does not value education, that accepts children getting pregnant and dropping out of school by 15 and that refuses to assimilate...

and an American culture that has become so weak and politically correct that we don't have the will to do anything about it.

If this makes your blood boil, as it did mine, forward this to everyone you know.

You're right about that. It's almost impossible to describe the transformation to anyone. Nobody in there right mind, would wish that on a U.S. city.

South Central Los Angeles used to be predominately Black populated. It, along with most of L.A. is now Hispanic. Many Blacks have been pushed out and angry, as shown by Ted Hayes with the Minute Man Project. Also being described on L.A. talk shows, by Terry Anderson, and Larry Elders. Both are Black commentators, and enjoyable to listen to. I miss Larry Elders.

Old neighborhoods are now like third world countries. I know, because I spent the better part of three years in Central and South America. Not much difference now. The report of 12 million illegal immigrants is dead wrong. More like 30M. The gangs are for another topic.

The one positive sign that can possibly come, are that more Blacks, are seeing the light, and registering Republican.

I am only speaking for myself, but to me immigration is not the most important issue- border security is of utmost importance and should have been since 9/11 for all Americans. Illegal immigration to me is the proof of how insecure our border is; politicians and activist groups that support illegals have made illegals the big issue.

This is why getting the border secured is at the top of my list, and I think those here illegally should be dealt with later, not as part of the same package. I believe joining the two issues will take away from the importance of securing the border.

The reason illegals have become the issue instead of border security is because illegals (especially when called immigrants instead of illegals) are more easily defended than an open border is in a time of war.

Just my opinion.

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