The latest of the proposed immigration reform bills, one that would grant amnesty to nearly 11 million people currently living unlawfully in the United States, would lead to large fiscal costs for the United States taxpayers.
Related to the issue of immigration, the government provides its constituents four categories of relevant benefits and services: direct benefits (Social Security and Medicare), means-tested welfare benefits (Medicaid, food stamps, Earned Income Tax Credit, public housing), public education, and population-based services (police, fire, highway, and park services).
We seem to take for granted these governmental services and fail to appreciate their staggering cost. In 2010, the average American household received $31,584 in governmental benefits and services in these four categories.
The governmental service system is fundamentally redistributive. Well-educated households tend to be “net tax contributors,” meaning that the amount of taxes they pay exceeds the amount of services they receive. The average college-educated household runs a fiscal benefit surplus of nearly $29,250, which the government uses to fund these benefits. Conversely, other households are “net tax consumers,” whose benefits received exceed the taxes they pay. In 2010, households in which the primary owner lacked a high school degree ran an average deficit of $35,113.
The high deficits of uneducated households bears importance in the amnesty debate because the typical unlawful immigrant has only a 10th grade education. Statistics show that only 25 percent of unlawful immigrants have a high school degree, according to the Center of Immigration Studies.
Some will argue that the deficit figures for uneducated households in the aggregate population are irrelevant because lawful immigrants use little welfare. In actuality, lawful immigrant households receive significantly more welfare than US-born households, on average.
Because unlawful immigrants do not have access to means-tested welfare, Medicare, or Social Security, many people make the erroneous (or fiscally neglectful) assumption that they receive no government benefits at all. For example, they receive public education and community services, while their children (if they were born in the U.S.) have access to a myriad of governmental benefits.
In 2010, the average unlawful immigrant household received nearly $24,721 in government benefits and services, running a fiscal deficit of about $14,387. This is a cost that carries over entirely to American taxpayers, underlying the fundamental financial problem of the illegal immigration issue. Because amnesty would allow the illegal immigrants to have access to over 80 programs—among them Obamacare, which is already a financial disaster—the extra cost to lawful taxpayers would be insurmountable.
As a recent Heritage Foundation article points out, “Over a lifetime, the former unlawful immigrants together would receive $9.4 trillion in government benefits and services and pay $3.1 trillion in taxes.” Ultimately, they would generate a lifetime fiscal deficit (total benefits minus total taxes) of $6.3 trillion (a minimum estimate). It probably understates real future costs because it undercounts the number of unlawful immigrants and dependents who will actually receive amnesty and underestimates the future growth in welfare and medical benefits.
With respect to government spending, the amnesty bill thwarts any attempt at fiscal discipline with respect to Congress. The bill itself also exploits a loophole that would allow Congress to spend more than stipulated in 2011 spending caps (the highest recent history).
Geopolitically, the amnesty bill would by no means ensure that borders will be secure. In fact, the incentive of access to governmental benefits would further entice foreigners to immigrate to the U.S. This is extremely problematic, as the Southwest is already plagued with border violence.
Ultimately, the new bill for comprehensive immigration reform tries to be a “cure-all” for the current crisis. As with most congressional bills, it is exceedingly long and convoluted. Spread out too thin, it fails to enact the precise reform that is necessary for the current situation.
Additionally, the proposition itself seems discouraging and insulting to current Americans and immigrants that are in this country lawfully. Congressional myopia, however, seems to be moving the nation in a direction in which the “nanny state” will provide for all, regardless of the repercussions.
Featured Image by Francisco Ruela / Heights Graphic
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/02/27/opposition-to-immigration-reform-is-a-winning-strategy-for-republicans/
“By any measure, fears of (Illegal) immigration are driving many white Americans to the Republican Party. And, indeed, the Republican strategy on immigration appears to have been successful. Republicans now control the House and the Senate, the governor’s office in 31 states, and two-thirds of the state legislatures. They are winning the political war.”
“An even bigger factor is that the ties of racial and ethnic minorities to the Democratic Party are tenuous. Research by Taeku Lee and myself shows that most Latinos and Asian Americans don’t feel like they fit into either party. In national surveys, those who refuse to answer a question about party identification, those who claim that they do not think in partisan terms, and independents make up the clear majority of both groups. All told, 56 percent of Latinos and 57 percent of Asian-American identify as nonpartisans.
Even among blacks, there are signs of ambivalence. Almost 30 percent of blacks feel
that the Democratic Party does not work hard for black interests.”
Gee, No wonder why I fall into the Proud Independent group.
Bush’s line: “Everyone knows our immigration system is broken!”
“No, Our Immigration System Is Not Broken”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/no-our-immigration-system-is-not-broken/article/2552534
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform
Trump outlines ways to fund his points: stop sending funds to Mexico, a tariff on trade, a tax on money transfers, etc. The USA can find ways to get this done. Not mentioned what Illegal Aliens cost us now and will cost us in the future:
http://patch.com/california/benicia/what-if-20-million-illegal-aliens-just-departed
What if 20 Million Illegal Aliens “Just Departed”
Um, A LOT would happen!
Cost of living would go down
Less traffic
Less violence
Reduce the population
Save Americans and America money
Basically there is no reason for illegals to be in the US
http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/sacramento-sheriff-criticizes-obama-on-immigration/29851418
Sacramento sheriff criticizes Obama on immigration
“Jones vowed to crusade against illegal immigration after the shooting rampage last month by a Mexican man with a long criminal history who was in the country illegally.”
http://c3.nrostatic.com/sites/default/files/SheriffsAgainstAmnesty.pdf
Bristol County, Massachusetts Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson
“No longer can we sit idle while the inaction of our Federal Government marginalizes our ability to preserve public safety, enforce our laws, and protect the Constitutional rights of all who legitimately reside and work in our communities.”
http://www.sheriffs.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/GovAffairs/NSA%20CIR%202013%20FINAL.pdf
National Sheriffs’ Association Position Paper on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The National Sheriffs’ Association’s press release reaffirmed organization’s stance articulated in its 2013 position paper on immigration policy. (Id.)In the paper, the Association advocated for effective and efficient securing of the border, enforcement of the immigration laws currently on the books, requiring information sharing between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials, withholding federal reimbursement money from jurisdictions who refuse to cooperate with immigration officials, and strengthening employer verification requirements, among other things. (National Sheriff’s Association, Jun. 25, 2013) The paper concluded, “The National Sheriffs’ Association strongly opposes outright amnesty for those individuals currently here illegally. Amnesty does not work. When granted in 1986, it did little to stop the flow of illegal individuals from coming across the borders and, in fact, contributed to thousands of fraudulent applications for amnesty.”
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/07/03/breaking-pier-14-murder-suspect-had-been-deported-5-times-with-7-felonies/
BREAKING: Pier 14 Murder Suspect Had Been Deported 5 Times with 7 Felonies
“Five-time deportee and seven-time convicted felon Francisco Sanchez has been jailed on suspicion of shooting and killing 31-year-old Kathryn Steinle Wednesday evening while taking photos with her father at Pier 14 in San Francisco, California. Sanchez was freed after the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department refused to honor a request by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain him, following a policy adopted in 2014. He was arrested soon after the shooting.”
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2015/03/20/by-the-way-ice-just-released-thousands-more-violent-criminal-illegal-aliens-onto-american-streets-n1973552?utm_source=TopBreakingNewsCarousel&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=BreakingNewsCarousel
By The Way, Ice Just Release 30,558 More Violent Criminal Illegal Aliens Onto American Streets
http://cis.org/ICE-Document-Details-36000-Criminal-Aliens-Release-in-2013
ICE Document Details 36,000 Criminal Alien Releases in 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/22/immigration-detainees-released-criminal-records/17714925/
U.S. misinformed Congress, public on immigrant release
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/202142-dhs-document-68000-illegal-immigrants-with-criminal-convictions-released-in
DHS document: 68,000 illegal immigrants with criminal convictions released in 2013
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/10/17/thousands-of-illegal-immigrants-released-including-3000-with-felony-charges-or-convictions/
Thousands of Illegal Immigrants Released — Including 3,000 With Felony Charges or Convictions
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/08/18/30-million-illegal-immigrants-in-us-says-mexicos-former-ambassador/
30 Million Illegal Immigrants in US, Says Mexico’s Former Ambassador on MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/backlash-grows-over-trump-s-immigration-plan-507691587765
“The former ambassador stated,” If you were to deport the 30 million undocumented immigrants in the United States that’s going to cost you about 130 billion dollars.”
http://www.latintimes.com/us-border-arrests-immigrant-children-and-families-increased-52-percent-august-342201
US Border Arrests Of Immigrant Children And Families Increased 52 Percent in August
“According to statistics released by the U.S. Border Patrol nearly 10,000 unaccompanied minors and families were arrested in the month of August, a 52 percent jump from last year.”
http://www.ibtimes.com/immigration-reform-2015-immigrant-families-surging-again-us-border-homeland-security-2043891
Immigration Reform 2015: Immigrant Families Surging Again At US Border, Homeland Security Says
“Federal border officials might have spoken too soon when they predicted earlier this year that the level of illegal immigration to the U.S. among mothers and children would decrease. There was actually a surge of immigrant families crossing U.S. borders last month [July 2015], a top Department of Homeland Security official told a federal court Thursday.”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/9/20-pct-illegals-caught-border-have-criminal-record/
Agents say just 40 percent of U.S.-Mexico border under control
20 percent of illegals caught at border have criminal records
“Less than half of the U.S.-Mexico border is under “operational control,” and one out of every five illegal immigrants caught there has a criminal record, the chief of Border Patrol agents’ labor union told Congress Wednesday when detailing violence that increasingly spills over the international boundary.”
An Atlantic Monthly article that shows that most economists’ thinking that an increased influx of immigrants provides more jobs for Americans is FALSE and does harm jobs for US workers and the economy:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/01/does-immigration-harm-working-americans/384060/
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/notes-on-immigration/
The Conscience Of A Liberal–Paul Krugman
“First, the benefits of immigration to the population already here are small.
” But as Mr. Hanson explains in his paper, reasonable calculations suggest that we’re talking about very small numbers, perhaps as little as 0.1 percent of GDP.
“My second negative point is that immigration reduces the wages of domestic workers who compete with immigrants. That’s just supply and demand…
“Finally, the fiscal burden of low-wage immigrants is also pretty clear. ”
Also, it is patently untrue that “immigrants” are the solution to low rate of start-ups:
http://smallbiztrends.com/2015/01/immigration-reform-declining-start-rate.html
We can’t afford it . Illegal aliens are one of the main reasons this Country is broke already !
….and knee grows too………
That’s why it will be soooo easy for Trump to DEPORT millions , because the LAWS already exist ! Never enforced by the last 4 administrations ! No Red tape , no politically motivated Supreme Court decisions ! Just Bye-bye Illegals !!!!!!!!!!!
Immigration is transforming the US in ways we have not considered yet. One possible future is described by Alderic Au in “The Aztlan Protocol”? You have to wonder if the United States has a future if he is even half right.
TRUMP WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, TO WILTING STATE OF AMERICA AFTER OBAMA IS GONE?
By designation, illegal
aliens are criminals not IMMIGRANTS? However, the biased Press, in mainly the
Liberal editorial staff prefers intentionally to intermix both immigration
status. Illegal aliens violate our
immigration laws each day. They fabricate the truth on application forms to get
education, health care, jobs and welfare. Then you have the 172,000 convicted
illegal aliens that King Obama has given amnesty so they can stay in this
country. Illegal immigration has a massive cost and the taxpayer cover
everything. It would be meaningless to try and guess the actual amount spent on
these people, but its estimated over a $$100 billion annually, that should be
spent on our own citizens and legal immigrants, not anchor babies or the chain
migration of families.
And even legal immigration
should be reduced, until America is back on its feet? This will never
happen under the GOP professionals as they demand cheap labor or the Democrats
whose agenda is to stealthily stay silent about
non citizens voting in our elections.
If you recognize the names
of Kate Steinle and Marilyn Pharis, they are both murder victims of illegal
aliens. The other day a drunk driving illegal alien in Victoria, Texas killed six illegal aliens. Every day
the illegal aliens cause rape, murder, theft, traffic accidents and steal
American jobs. Isn’t time we use a new approach? Maybe enforcing the
immigration laws that are already on the books. A third of the prison
population are foreign nationals.
“According
to ABC13, authorities believe the crash is a failed human smuggling
attempt. They also reported that the middle seat in the SUV had been removed
and the rear seat had been folded down in order to fit more people. Preliminary
information points to the crash victims as having been from Honduras and Guatemala.
The New
York Times reported on the crash; however, they failed to mention the human
smuggling connection thus making it difficult for their readers to understand
the reasons for the chase and the crash.
These persons died while
violating our laws. Because we do not enforce our immigration laws; Washington is responsible for these deaths.
Americans must demand a
strong President, and from what I heard
in Donald Trumps commencement speech, he asserted that illegal immigration was
out of control and went on to say that he would enforce our laws beginning with
building a Trump–WALL. That’s a good enough answer for me and millions of
ordinary citizens, that he will complete that major project. The others in the Presidential race tends to
fudge over statistics or just stay silent about the enormity of the illegal
alien invasion. Statesman Trump will not only erect that controversial wall,
but will build on the E-Verify program. Optional now E-Verify is easy to
compromise by untrustworthy employers and their rules. But by amending E-Verify
so it is MANDATED, illegal aliens and employers will no longer be able to slip
through the fingers of ICE. However it will only work with the presence of
hefty fines and in some cases imprisonment.
Along with Trump standing
tall, Senator Ted Cruz speaks his mind, not trying to make the scope of the
problem trivial. Cruz didn’t stay quiet about the Republicans falling in line
with not withholding the power of the purse. After the devotion of
Conservatives to return Republicans in volume to the Congress, they have
already seen how they have been let down. Its as if speaker of the house John
Boehner was in collusion with the present administration? One things for sure, that if Trump stays and
doesn’t get nominated for Prez, then I know the whole campaign is rigged?
If the polls are correct in
predicting the new man for the White House, then Trump will a tough guy,
gaining momentum all the time. Then lets face it, who in their right mind would
vote for Jeb Bush (a Rino) who is heavily involved with the US Chamber of
Commerce and a need for cheap labor, no matter the cost to the American people
or Hillary Clinton, who lives under a ominous shadow since entering politics.
As for Bernie Sanders, a dyed in the wool extreme Socialist, who wants big
government to control us, like the Russian state.
Illegal Immigrant Car Crash Kills 6 in Central Texas
by Ildefonso Ortiz, Breitbart Texas, 9/24/15
At least six illegal
immigrants from Honduras and Guatemala have been killed, multiple others
injured, and two arrested following a high-speed chase that ended with a crash
in the rural town of Edna just northwest of Victoria, Texas.
The fatal wreck took place
shortly after 1:30 a.m. along Highway 59 when police in Edna tried to pull
over a Ford Explorer over a traffic violation, Houston’s ABC13
reported.
The driver of the SUV led
police through a series of turns in and out of the main highway but eventually
overcorrected in one of those turns causing the vehicle to roll over multiple
times.
Four suspected illegal
immigrants were ejected from the vehicle and died from their injuries. Two
others ran away but have since been arrested. Two other passengers died while
the rest are being treated for their injuries.
Breitbart
Texas has reported in the past on similar cases near the Texas border where
human smugglers pack SUV’s and vans with illegal immigrants and try to
circumvent U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints.
The tactic often times
results in high speed chases and fatalities as inexperienced drivers have a
difficult time controlling the grossly overloaded vehicles.
In 2012, Junior Benjamin
Rodriguez, who was only 15 at the time, drove a minivan with at least 16
illegal immigrants when border patrol agents tried to pull him over in the
border city of Palmview, Texas. Rodriguez sped off but lost
control of the vehicle and crashed into a shopping plaza. The passengers ended
up flying out of the vehicle with 9 of them dying.
Rodriguez was tried as an
adult and is currently serving a 20 year prison sentence for nine counts of
manslaughter.
Always find the truth about
all the issues including illegal immigration at Judicial Watch http://www.judicialwatch.org and download their
newsletter about the corruption in Washington and state assemblies. In addition,
One American News Network http://www.oann.com overseas
the facts and truths that the media lies about and missing facts that they
withdraw from public view.