Posted on 03/06/2006 1:12:39 PM PST by Impeach98
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INVASION USA
Ban on wire transfers by illegals proposed
Supporters believe it will remove major incentive for crossing border
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Posted: March 6, 2006 2:32 p.m. Eastern
James L. Lambert © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
A Republican candidate for a vacated congressional seat in southern California is proposing a ban on wire transfers by illegal aliens from the U.S. to Mexico.
The plan "will remove a major incentive for illegal immigration and increase national security," said Howard Kaloogian, a well-known California activist who launched the effort to recall Gov. Gray Davis.
Kaloogian is the front-runner for the San Diego-area congressional seat held by Republican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who was sentenced last week to eight years in prison on corruption charges.
Howard Kaloogian
"[T]he Mexican government is making billions of dollars every year from illegal aliens who enter the U.S. illegally and then wire that money back to their families in Mexico," Kaloogian said Saturday at a news conference at the border.
The economy, he contended, bears the cost of illegal aliens, who pay no taxes but receive taxpayer-funded services.
"It's absurd that we continue to allow those who have broken the law by entering this nation illegally to then enjoy the benefit of collecting wages illegally and then sending those funds to a foreign nation," Kaloogian said.
Howard Kaloogian at the Mexican border Saturday.
The proposal, if adopted by Congress, would require anyone wiring money to Mexico to provide identification to financial institutions or wire-transfer operators to prove citizenship.
An estimated $15 to $20 billion is moved annually from the U.S. to Mexico through private-party wire transfers. Howard Kaloogian at Mexican border Saturday
Kaloogian said past legislative proposals involving transfers by illegal aliens merely have imposed an extra fee.
The new proposal, he argued, "will establish leverage with foreign leaders such as Mexico's Vicente Fox who has sent a wink and a nod to their citizens to enter the United States illegally, collect wages that ad up to 10 times those paid in Mexico and then send those funds back to Mexico."
Claudia Garcia de Spencer, spokeswoman for the San Diego chapter of the Minutemen volunteer border patrol, spoke at the news conference in support of the proposal.
"Four and a half years after 9-11, our federal and state officials still refuse to confront threats allowing our borders to be breached thousands of times each day by foreigners," she said. "As a new citizen who followed the procedures and obeyed the rules, this (illegal immigration) is a shocking affront to me and is a slap in the face to all loyal Americans."
Kaloogian was a California state assemblyman from 1994 to 2000. He helped launch the pro-troops organization Move America Forward. His candidacy has received a variety of endorsements, including support from Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine.
A special election for Cunningham's congressional seat is scheduled April 11. If no candidate receives a 50 percent majority, run-off will take place between the expected Democrat candidate Carolyn [sic] Busby and the top Republican vote-getter.
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???
You expect there to be a strong financial mob of hush hush money transfer third parties to spring up? Sure, there might be some, but it will be the exception not the rule. Western Union won't be opening up a subsidiary in the Yellow Pages advertising "we'll match you up with a U.S. citizen to wire money for you and all your illegal alien friends! Se Habla Espanol!"
"Shocking, isn't it? [grin]"
It's becoming less so.:)
"Sometimes, I wonder whether a proposed measure to curb illegal immigration is actually intended to curb illegal immigration, or to provide less-than-honest folks a way to make money off of illegal immigration. "
Hmm...or just stupidity. I think that putting out some effort at the borders to stop entry, along with deporting every illegal that shows up wherever they show up would work a lot better than this piddly messing around with wire transfers. But, hey, what do I know?
Why not a ban on illegals?
The owners are NOT free to sell someone else. They face fines, penalties and can be shut down and lose their license for repeated offenses.
" Because when George goes to pay his gardener, his maid, the guy he hired on the street to pour cement for his back patio"
That accounts for 3 illegals - what about the rest of them?
Maybe but it doesn't happen here. Just the clerks are charged. I've seen it happen several times.
STUPID!
How the heck do you prove the transferee is an illegal? Or are we going to ASSUME the transfer is illegal until you produce your Birth Certificate, Passport, etc.?
Tax these transfers, and tax them heavily.
I think the key point is there is no silver bullet for ending illegal immigration.
A lot of the different proposals have to be enacted, from a real barrier fence, to more employer sanctions, to a realistic guest worker program, to ideas making it harder to benefit from illegal immigration -- such as denying driver licenses and prohibiting wire transfers.
It all helps. And we need all the help we can get.
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You produce your drivers license, VISA, passport, etc... just like you have to have ID to cash a check at a bank.
Look in your wallet. My guess is that you have a drivers license. Not that tough. You probably have even used it to cash a check.
You can't tax them. Three states have proposed that (Georgia passed them). You then legitimize illegal immigration forever and governments have an incentive NOT to secure the border.
Banning illegal aliens from wiring money would likely just change how they send money back home.
I'm also curious how they would expect the wire companies to verify that their customers are in the country legally.
This might be possible once States start requiring that people prove they are in the country legally before getting a drivers license, but until that happens, it's going to be very difficult for a wire transfer company to enforce this.
I would support legislation that would require a drivers license that conforms with the Real Id Act to send wire transfers or open a bank account, but until the Real Id Act really goes into effect, I'm not sure this is really practical to enforce.
I like the idea in general, I'm just not sure it can be implemented yet.
How bout we make it illegal to give them money in the first place? Oh yeah it already is. Ok how about we enforce the laws. The only way they will go or (at least fewer will come) is if there is no money for them here in the first place..
This is not an income tax.
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