Flawed studies ignore real impact of illegal immigration

Recently, two lengthy immigration studies were released that made headlines across California for their unbelievable claims made by the authors on the impact of illegal immigration in our state.

These so-called immigration experts at the Public Policy Institute of California and the Immigration Policy Center came to the misguided conclusion that illegal immigrants living in California actually help American workers earn higher wages, and break fewer laws than other demographic groups in our state.

When asked about his conclusions, the co-author of one of the reports, Ruben Rumbaut, told a newspaper that he hoped his work would "reduce prejudice" ---- thereby admitting his research is politically biased. The conclusions drawn by Mr. Rumbaut and his colleagues are clearly motivated much more by partisan politics than by an honest look at the effect of illegal immigration on jobs, schools, highways, hospitals and jails.

Perhaps illegal immigration is not a problem for liberal politicians or college professors, but a closer look at the statistics in our community tells a different story. Make no mistake, hardworking taxpayers across San Diego are struggling to endure the impact of illegal immigration every day, and it's time to take action to secure our borders.

In a 2005 report, researchers at the international asset management and investment firm Bear Stearns estimated that as many as 20 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, roughly 40 percent of whom are thought to live in California. It simply defies logic for the Public Policy Institute to claim that immigrant workers, most of whom work very long hours at back-breaking jobs for low wages, are not adversely affecting opportunity and prosperity for American workers.

When it comes to immigrants and crime in California, the facts speak for themselves. A 2001 study from the International Population Center at San Diego State University found that San Diego taxpayers spend a whopping $50.3 million every year just to arrest, jail and prosecute illegal immigrants and provide them with emergency medical care.

Statewide, the numbers are even more alarming. Recent figures from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation found that illegal immigrants comprise over 11 percent of the inmate population at prison facilities across the state. These undocumented criminals are adding to an overcrowding problem that has prompted an irresponsible movement for the early release of dangerous criminals.

Even worse, California will spend upward of $750 million this year to process and house illegal immigrants who commit crimes in California, costs that are supposed to be reimbursed to the state treasury under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. Unfortunately, we receive only pennies on the dollar back from the federal government, leaving state taxpayers stuck footing the bill for Washington's inability to protect our borders and keep Californians safe. We hope our bipartisan congressional delegation can work together to change that in the months ahead.

But the problems with illegal immigrants and crime are not just confined to our jails and prisons, they are being played out in our neighborhoods every day. In 2004, the North County Gang Task Force reported arresting 408 gang members who committed crimes in our community. Of that total, 260 were illegals!

We will never forget the brutal murder of our local hero Tony Zeppetella, the Oceanside police officer, husband and father who stopped a twice-deported illegal alien for a traffic violation and was gunned down in cold blood. We would invite the authors of the studies to tell the loved ones Officer Zeppetella left behind that illegal immigrants don't commit violent crimes in California.

Ideologues like Mr. Rumbaut may use name-calling; there is no doubt that it's time for lawmakers to get serious about reducing the impact of illegal immigration in our state. The burden of illegal immigration on California taxpayers is wrong. It's destructive, it undermines our economy, and it forces all of us to pay more in taxes for programs and services for those who are here illegally.

In the coming months, we hope Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature can work together to set aside politics as usual and focus on securing our borders, reducing the number of illegals in California and helping state and local governments deal with the financial impact of illegal immigrants in our communities.

Above all else, we hope our colleagues will be motivated to act based on the real world experiences of Californians affected by rampant illegal border crossings, not on flawed studies driven by a political agenda that ignores the real experiences of San Diegans in coping with illegal immigration.

Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murrieta, represents the 36th Senate District, which runs from Murrieta in the north to Rancho Bernardo and Mission Valley in the south. Sen. Mark Wyland, R-Carlsbad, represents the 38th Senate District, which covers most of North County, including Camp Pendleton, and parts of southern Orange County. Assemblyman Martin Garrick, R-Carlsbad, represents the 74th Assembly District, which includes Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Vista and portions of Escondido, Oceanside, Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego and San Marcos. Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries, R-Murrieta, represents the 66th Assembly District, which stretches from the southern outskirts of Riverside through western Corona and Lake Elsinore to take in the entire communities of Murrieta, Temecula and Fallbrook, and parts of Bonsall, Valley Center and Ramona. Assemblyman George Plescia, R-La Jolla, represents the 75th Assembly District, which includes parts of Escondido, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Del Mar and San Diego.

The impact of illegal aliens depends to a great extent on where they end up in the US. Factors that determine if they will have a strongly negative, or a more positive impact, include the following:

Negative factors that make illegals expensive and difficult:

1) Ghettoization. Having heterogeneous illegal immigrant communities, where they can avoid integration, significantly slows their integration and eventual citizenship. It also is a strong contributing factor in organized crime.
2) Large scale, sub minimum-wage employment. Companies that cheat illegal workers, exploiting them with unlawfully-low pay and unsafe working conditions, strongly oppose their self improvement. It is no wonder that such people rely heavily on any free service they can get.
3) Government largesse. Not just for the public at large, but especially targeting illegal aliens for special benefits. Essentially enticing them to become dependent on welfare.

Positive factors that significantly reduce the impact of illegal workers in a community:

1) Forced integration. Having to live and work around Americans all the time rapidly imbues illegals with what they need to succeed. It is comparable to “cultural immersion”.
2) All work for illegals is small scale and based on individual initiative and motivation. Self-reliance breeds self-reliance and success. In turn, such small businesses employ many, many people.
3) No special largesse. By doing it all themselves, illegal immigrants can often integrate, adapt, succeed, and strongly contribute to society far more than they consume.

Based on all of this, the standard for citizenship in the US should be success, among illegals who have lived here for years. Despite their unlawful residency, if they have made themselves good citizens who contribute to society, for them to become legal should be easy.

If however, they have not prospered, are a drain on society, are criminal in nature beyond the initial offense, and remain un-integrated, then they should be deported.

Such a “success test” for new immigration has been proposed, but only peripherally. It should be *the* criteria for being allowed to stay in the US.

So, The US Government is required, under your scenario to provide testing of up to perhaps 20 million “Illegal” beings residing within our borders to determine their individual assimilation status, and provide amnesty, or citizenship to those whom qualify under the scenario you provided, and deport those whom don’t pass the “Test”?

Perhaps I am confused about the term “Illegal”, and the words “Law” and “Enforcement”.

Except for the most recent illegals, the test is ongoing in America. For example, what if we gave citizenship in exchange for $15,000, plus good conduct to that point, plus English language, Constitutional and American history skills?

It is far more than is required to become a citizen, except for the fact that you don’t have to leave your home and your business, and leave the US to apply after having lived here for 10 or 15 years.

Because that is the bottom line. People who have lived here so long that they are de facto Americans, and many more prosperous and successful than natural born Americans. Asking them to pack up and go to a foreign country, apply to get back in and wait for *literally* 10 years for their forms to be processed is inane.

What’s even worse is that many of them have utterly abandoned the language and culture of Mexico to the point where they and their children would be in a foreign country.

I’m sorry if a 15 year old brown skinned girl, who has lived in the US since infancy, has never visited Mexico, doesn’t speak Spanish, and is otherwise a typical school student terrifies some people because “she is illegal”. But *she* is not the problem. *They* are. Or *you* are, if you imagine that she is a threat.

Now at the same time, if in the time they have lived in the US they have proved themselves to be poor, unmotivated, wanting only government handouts; they live in some ‘hood in an illegal alien ghetto, and have a long arrest record, they should be in the next bus heading South. The test for that has also been done. So next time you catch them—out they go for good.

And *that* is the legitimate discrimination we need. Kick out the worthless losers, and keep the good, hard working and successful winners.

But calling for the US to “just kick them out” really makes me question your humanity. That is as bizarre as the weirdos who want to send all black people “back to Africa”.

Hold the fort Popo, re read my initial post and see if your last comment is truly applicable.

Your Comment: “But calling for the US to “just kick them out” really makes me question your humanity. That is as bizarre as the weirdos who want to send all black people “back to Africa”.”

I simply asked you a question (Didn’t state anything about “kicking them out”) as your initial posting seemed quite complex with regards to utilization of Government resources focused upon “Testing” Illegals assimilation status, when Government resources cannot even be utilized sufficiently to prevent the problem in the first place.

Read “you all” for “you”. Not saying that you in particular belong to the “kick them all out” crowd, which I equate with the Milosevic solution. And no, I do not see the misdemeanor offense of border crossing by itself as justification for mass deportations any more than the people who didn’t pay a parking fine 10 years ago should be deported.

But I also hope I was clear in answer to your question, that such a “test” happens naturally, and that when time comes for the government to decide who stays and who should be deported, it will be obvious.

Those without a criminal record *and* who have the means to pay a goodly amount for their citizenship obviously have been contributing to our society. And nothing is wrong with a “means” test. It would not just be obvious as to individuals, but for whole families.

But if they are criminals, *or* have been living off government largesse for years, *or* are otherwise undesirables, I have no problem with getting rid of them.

Most of them come from countries without laws, why should they appreciate the same in our country? Most of latin america is influenced by their spanish conquers, and Spain is politically retarded.

To me...only those whom come here on legatimate terms and try to understand our Constitution past the requirements....are worth of being in our country.

I truely think we neeed more education geared towards understanding our WHOLE constitution. Liberal sometimes forget the first part of the Constitution...and even some repubs forget the latter.

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