Illegal Immigration Costs Demonstrated Again

Heritage Foundation ^ | March 6, '08 | staff

[T.L.Sink]

Slowly but surely Washington is acknowledging the high cost illegal immigration inflicts on local governments. The New York Times reports on a study by the University of Arizona and San Diego State University showing counties along the Mexican border spent $1.23 billion processing illegal immigrants through the justice system. Heritage research shows the cost of low skilled immigrants does not end there. In FY 2004, at the local and state level, the average low skill immigrant household received $14,145 in benefits and services and paid only $5,309 in taxes. The average low skill immigrant households imposed a fiscal burden on local and state government of $8,836 per year. Current federal immigration policy permits a massive inflow of both legal and illegal low skill immigrants to enter and reside in the U.S. This imposes a massive unfunded mandate on local and state government which must bear the costs. States looking to alleviate the fiscal burden have tools at their disposal including: 1) implementing REAL ID standards; 2) denying public benefits; 3) imposing sanctions on employers who hire illegals; and 4) ensuring voters are citizens.

[kabar]

The USG is an enabler as well.

Social Security Information in Other Languages--Ensuring that individuals have access to public information materials regardless of their ability to communicate in English.

USA.gov/jobs--Oportunidades de empleo con el Gobierno federal e información sobre el salario mínimo, derecho laboral y seguridad en el trabajo.

[puroresu]

USA racing to the bottom once again!

Our governing elites won't be satisfied until this country is nothing but a vague memory.

[T.L.Sink]

Thanks. Rector is one of my heroes. He probably had more to do with the defeat of the comprehensive ‘amnesty’ immigration bill than any other single person. He was quoted by Jeff Sessions in the Senate, appeared on Lou Dobbs, C-Span and numerous other programs. More important, he did the definitive research on the long-term consequences of illegal immigration, demonstrating that within 20 years this illegal alien invasion, if not curtailed, would bring down the whole financial infrastructure of the United States.

[rodguy911]

Exactly Adorno!
It would have the same effect if we had to write a check to the various agencies for our payroll taxes every week instead of having we employers withhold the dough.<p.

If people actually had a first hand experience of losing that kind of money week after week they would be outraged.

[kabar]

Agreed. The problem is that the pro-amnesty folks like McCain, Obama, and Clinton place politics and pleasing the corporate elites above the future of this country. Facts don't matter. As an immigration activist, I have been involved in efforts to get state and local governments to get data on immigration so we can make good public policy. Groups like the ACLU, La Raza, and others have been throwing roadblocks in the way to stop such efforts.

Pro-population growth, kinship based legal immigration policies will destroy this country even if we stopped illegal immigration tomorrow.

[T.L.Sink]

Thanks for that depressing information! I totally agree that the governmnent is an enabler to our own destruction.
“Civilizations do not die from war, but by suicide.” - Arnold Toynbee

[T.L.Sink]

I completely agree. Speaking of La Raza, see my post #31. It’s tragic that McCain, Obama, and Hillary don’t give a damn about anything but personal power and the next election. Sadly, this is a fact of human nature that has brought down more than one nation. History doesn’t repeat itself but there are recurring patterns. I see in the present state of affairs too many similarities to nations in their final stages of decline. I realize that many pundits have wrongly been prophets of doom and gloom but I truly believe that America has lost touch with its founding principles and unique vision of its destiny among nations as a democratic republic.

[Reddy]

bump

[T.L.Sink]

And that’s why they pander to them and bribe them with social welfare benefits, affirmative action, bilingual education, in-state tuition rates for out of state residents, and amnesty for violating U.S. immigration law.

[rodguy911]

We are already there in S.Fla.,here many legals and illegals work under several names and collect every single benefit there is in multiple ways.
For example Haitians who are gainfully employed opt out of health insurance even when they can get Blue Cross for a family for $200 per month.
Instead... they use the emergency room, its always free.
And guess who pays the bills.

[rodguy911]

Any time an unguarded border controls our immigration policies we are always in trouble, great examples.

[ARE SOLE]

Immigration and energy are two of our biggest clubs against the rats.

Lather, rinse and repeat.

Regards

[rodguy911]

Absolutely right Kabar, its all BS! Before it's over the govt. will be providing info in 20 different languages and the country will be even more of a zoo than it is now.

[rodguy911]

The readily available stats for Hispanic and other growth through 2050 are staggering at best.

[rodguy911]

Thanks, I do, thank God for talk radio and a few other venues.

[Vaduz]

Yes but they keep getting reelected so much for the American voters IQ.