Posted on 03/06/2008 11:50:06 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON – The next time a San Diego sheriff's deputy arrests a man who tries to steal a car, hauls him to a county detention center, starts asking questions and discovers he's in the country illegally, here's what will happen:
The tax-supported district attorney's and public defender's offices will handle his case, a tax-supported judge will preside if it goes to trial, he'll spend an average three weeks in the local jail at $100 each day, a state prison could house him for years at $121 a day, and tax-funded probation officers will follow his progress.
Only after that will he be deported.
For years, the White House and border communities such as San Diego have argued over who should pay for all this. As a group of border states yesterday unveiled a report on the costs of incarcerating illegal immigrants linked to crimes, President Bush is again trying to eliminate all federal reimbursement for the task.
The recurring battle over this reimbursement – known in Washington parlance as the “State Criminal Alien Assistance Program,” or SCAAP – has a predictable rhythm: For six years, the Republican president has axed the money from his budget plan, lawmakers from border states have howled, and budget writers have held press conferences, hearings and behind-door talks to put some money back in.
Still, those reimbursements have declined steadily during the 14 years the program has been in place.
“Gov. Schwarzenegger believes the federal government should live up to its responsibility and secure the border,” said spokesman Bill Maile. “Cutting back the program would be unacceptable and a serious hit to our state.”
Congress approved the reimbursement program in 1994, and it helped counties, cities and states that were struggling to provide not only jails for illegal immigrants, but also funding for prosecutors, public defenders, translation services, courtrooms, judges, probation services and juvenile detention.
“They're a burden to everybody's system, not only here but statewide,” said San Diego Sheriff's Lt. Phil Brust, who says one of every 13 inmates in local jails is undocumented. “It costs money to provide medical care, housing and food.”
The federal reimbursement program provides only minimal relief to cities and counties that apprehend illegal immigrants and to the states that imprison them. One study released last summer found that illegal immigrants cost the San Diego County law enforcement system about $75 million a year. The county received just under $2.5 million in federal reimbursements in fiscal 2007.
The Border Counties Coalition yesterday released its report showing that from 1999 to 2006, border counties – including San Diego – spent $1.2 billion in law enforcement costs on illegal immigrants. The report can be viewed online at bordercounties.org.
“Our goal is to show the federal government just what the impact was,” said Isaac Reyes, a lobbyist for the coalition. “The fact that (the White House is) proposing to add new border patrol agents is welcome, but that doesn't mean they should get a free pass from paying the cost that our local counties have to absorb.”
There are also separate costs to cities and to the California state prison system.
California, which has more illegal immigrants that any other state, spends about $1 billion a year incarcerating the immigrants, who make up from 11 percent to 14 percent of the population in the state's 33 prisons. SCAAP payments tend to be less than 25 percent of that cost, and sometimes have been as low as 12 percent.
For San Diego County, payments have dropped from a high of $8 million in 1999 to $2.5 million last year. For California, they went from $237 million to $151 million.
Whether the border counties' report will have much impact on the White House is doubtful. Bush championed federal reimbursement for illegal immigrants when he was Texas governor. Once he got to the White House, he argued that because Washington sends millions to states to enforce the borders, it is the states' responsibility to deal with those who cross over illegally.
“Funds currently dedicated to the SCAAP Program could be put to better use helping to control the border and improving immigration enforcement,” said U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Erik Ablin, noting that Bush is proposing $100 million to improve enforcement along the nation's southwest borders.
$237,000,000: Federal money to the state in 1999 for jailing illegal immigrants.
$151,000,000: Funds received by the state last year.
$8,000,000: Federal reimbursements to San Diego County in 1999.
$2,500,000: What the county received last year.
The recurring battle over this reimbursement – known in Washington parlance as the “State Criminal Alien Assistance Program,” or SCAAP – has a predictable rhythm: For six years, the Republican president has axed the money from his budget plan, lawmakers from border states have howled, and budget writers have held press conferences, hearings and behind-door talks to put some money back in.
Still, those reimbursements have declined steadily during the 14 years the program has been in place.
yeah, but we all enjoy cheap lettuce.
would it save money to put a dozen illegals in a cell built for 2?
Here is my proposal. If a state passes a law agreeing to certain cooperation procedures, federal taxpayers should pay the costs. Cooperation should include elimination of sanctuary cities, cooperation with immigration officials, denial of state services for illegals, and workplace compliance. I think that Georgia, Oklahoma, and Arizona may qualify. Non qualifying states can eat the costs.
Bush championed federal reimbursement for illegal immigrants when he was Texas governor. Once he got to the White House, he argued that because Washington sends millions to states to enforce the borders, it is the states’ responsibility to deal with those who cross over illegally.
Schwarzeneggar could put the California National Guard on the border to enforce our borders to comply with what the feds want. Oh wait, we are talking about Schwartzeneggar here.........
The DemocRats really don’t care. The illegals and crime are a big income for them. The lawyers, teachers, parole officers, prison wardens, social workers and their unions all get more money with more illegals. Who cares who pays for it? The DemocRats will now go for higher taxes in CA.
Then more high net worth high income people will leave the city and state..more companies will leave..etc.
The DemocRats really don’t care.
Let me amend your statement-
Most Republicans and the Democrats really don’t care.
In 1998, former Texas Comptroller John Sharp published
Challenge and Opportunity in the Texas Border Region, which provided an assessment of the economic, political, and social condition of the Texas border counties. This report, commissioned by the US / Mexico Border Counties Coalition, extends those findings to all of the 24 U.S. counties that are contiguous with Mexico. As a region, if these 24 counties were the 51st state, how would they compare with the rest of the nation?
1st in federal crimes, primarily due to drug and immigration arrests by federal agencies.
2nd in incidence of tuberculosis.
2nd in the percentage of its population that is under the age of 18.
3rd in deaths due to hepatitis.
3rd in highest concentration of Hispanics.
4th in military employment.
5th in diabetes-related deaths.
5th in unemployment, 2nd without the San Diego County work force.
7th in incidence of adult diabetes.
10th in employment of federal civilians.
12th in government and government enterprise employment.
12th in incidence of AIDS.
13th in population.
16th in violent crime.
22nd in allocation of federal highway planning and construction expenditures.
22nd in home ownership.
27th in the percentage of adults with a four year college degree; 46th without San Diego.
29th in receipt of total federal government expenditures.
37th in home affordability; 45th without San Diego.
37th in low birth weight babies.
39th in infant mortality.
42nd in the percent of teen pregnancy.
50th in insurance coverage for adults and children.
50th in percent of population that has completed high school; 51st without San Diego.
51st in per capita income if San Diego County is not included, and 40th with San Diego.
51st in the number of health care professionals.
unbelievable. literally and figuratively.
And yet only a handful of GOP Senators and a few score of GOP House members are trying to do anything to stop this in the entire US Governmental system.
Apparently, our country doesn’t really believe in equality under the law or they wouldn’t allow the border counties to become a third world country right inside otherwise wealthy states.
Illegal-immigrant criminals siphon funds
Who knew ??????????????????
LOL
And EVERY Illegal alien siphons funds
If Arnie's "early release" program for state prisons includes deportation, it might be worth it.
Arizona just puts them on a bus down past the “virtual fence”.....every night.
Are your figures re the little Texas town of San Diego
or the large city and county of San Diego in Calif that the article is regarding.
After I posted I realized the confusion. What it appears to be is that TX did the original analysis some time ago and this was expanded to include all the counties on the US - Mexi border and then to compare them as a state relative to the other 50 states...hope that helps.
This report, commissioned by the US / Mexico Border Counties Coalition, extends those findings to all of the 24 U.S. counties that are contiguous with Mexico.
As a region, if these 24 counties were the 51st state, how would they compare with the rest of the nation?
http://bordercounties.org/vertical/Sites/{B4A0F1FF-7823-4C95-8D7A-F5E400063C73}/uploads/{01CF6553-9553-4457-BA23-50B41E06536B}.PDF
Thank You.
You are most welcome...I too supported Duncan Hunter and still do...I assume you are in San Diego? I am in Charleston, SC the San Diego of the east.
Yes, I am a San Diego native.
I can go some blocks up the street and a few blocks over and look out at the USS Ronald Reagan & USS Nimitz
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.