Call to tax Mexico $2,000 per illegal immigrant to pay for Trump’s wall

Washington Examiner ^ | 8/7/18 | Paul Bedard

[markomalley]

A border lawmaker had drawn up a plan to pay for the wall in part by fining Mexico and other countries $2,000 for every illegal immigrant caught crossing into the United States.

Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, who has made is mark on Washington in just his first term, is pushing a plan that includes the tax on illegals and other ways to pay for the border wall demanded by President Trump.

With up some 400,000 illegal immigrants being apprehended at the border yearly, his tax could raise $800 million a year. Immigration groups claim that an equal amount of illegal immigrants get into the U.S. annually.

The border wall could cost up to $25 billion.

The legislative proposal by Biggs, titled the Fund and Complete the Border Wall Act, also calls for full construction to begin next year and for some money go to the U.S. Border Patrol. It suggests these changes and taxes:

• Penalizes foreign aid to Mexico and other countries by $2,000 for every illegal alien that is apprehended. The held back funds are redirected to the border wall fund.
• Charges a fee for all money transfers when receivers are outside the United States. Collected fees go to the border wall fund.
• Increases I-94 fees from $6 to $25. The higher fees fund Border Patrol salaries and the border wall fund.
• Provides regulatory relief from burdensome actions that could be used to prevent wall construction.
• Restores overtime pay for Border Patrol at same rate as all other DHS law enforcement agencies (restoring Fair Labor Standards Act).

Other funding ideas have been pushed by the administration, including taxing money immigrants send home to family.

Said Biggs in a statement: “Even with a Republican-controlled House and Senate, we have failed to secure the funds for the border wall. In the meantime, our Border Patrol agents suffer demoralizing losses of resources and personnel. Some in Congress view border security as leverage for an amnesty deal, but that would turn a crisis into a catastrophe.

“This is why I introduced the ‘Fund and Complete the Border Wall Act.’ We must keep our promises to the American people. We must fund, start, and complete the border wall without further delay. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation.”

[DoodleDawg]

Yah,but a 25% tax on Mexican made cars,washing machines and TVs would pay for it in a couple of years.

I thought the idea was to get Mexico to pay for it?

[ßuddaßudd]

a 30% tax on western union money transfers going south to mexico and beyond would be a nice start .

[no-to-illegals]

Tax Mexico at 20 Billion per illegal. Breaking even will not happen at 2,000. Besides entering legally costs more than 2,000

[FrdmLvr]

Take the costs for building the wall out of the foreign aid we send to Mexico. At nearly $90 million for 2018, it will go a long way toward construction.

[jdsteel]

U.S. foreign aid to Mexico is only about $320 million a year in all aid. At that rate it would fund the wall...in 78 years

What have you been smoking???

[DoodleDawg]

What have you been smoking???

Nothing. Basic math - $25 billion divided by $320 million is approximately 78. What do you come up with?

[chrisnj]

How about -
Hire illegal aliens from south of the border to build the border wall! -
pay them minimum wage (bet many of them will take the jobs),
set up camps south of the border for them to live, charging them for lodging and food,
operating shops to sell them whatever they need (to make profits for us);
provide money wiring or delivery services for a fee (to make profits for us), etc., etc.

have tight patrol at the border to keep them from sneaking into USA, and, if captured (for sneaking in), fine them by garnishing their wages.....

And, on top of all, tax them on their gross wages.....

We will end up keeping most of the money we pay them for their labor.

Viola, costs of the border wall will be minimal.

If the liberal, social warriors and whatnot yell about injustice or inhuman, well, they can go to replace these illegal aliens to build the wall under the same conditions and they will ease their own conscience.....

(They cannot complain about hiring illegal aliens because that is what they want to do all the time.)

[kaktuskid]

An import tax on that recycled urine that Mexico calls”beer”

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks markomalley.

[CedarDave]

Another article on the same topic; posting title and link only:

GOP Rep. Introduces Bill That Would Fine Mexico to Pay for the Wall

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[Squantos]

Talked about this many times here on FR to stop ALL foreign aid to Mexico and Canada and use the money to build and maintain three layers of defense on our North and South borders .... physical barriers, electronic surveillance, enforcement.

As well I’m 100% for a better process for those immigrants who legally apply to become US Citizens after vetting ....

My opinion still.

[Tammy8]

Great idea! But it won’t work, Mexico won’t pay.

We need to tax remittances sent back to Mexico by illegals living here and or raise the price of border crossing permits I-94s. Those are both methods of collecting where they have no choice but to pay. There are other things that can be done as well.

[Tammy8]

To clarify I meant asking them to pay $2,000 per illegal...not workable. The rest...some is sketchy, some is workable.

It is actually simple to get Mexico to pay for the wall...there are many things that they would have no choice but to pay...that is what is workable.

[Jim W N]

How can Trump tax Mexico? All he can do is tax Mexican imports which is taxing the American consumer. We lose.