Cost of illegal aliens in Va. soars
A new study from a nonprofit group that wants tighter border security and immigration controls finds the costs of providing certain services to those in Virginia illegally is about $625 per household.
That number represents the costs per household after deducting for money illegal workers give to the state by way of tax revenues, the Federation for American Immigration Reform states in its report, "The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Virginians."
On an annual basis, taxpayers in the commonwealth pay $1.7 billion per year to educate and provide medical care for illegal immigrants, as well as incarcerate those who break other laws, FAIR reports.
"These costs," wrote report author Jack Martin, director of special projects, "are especially burdensome at a time when the state is confronting a major general fund budget deficit of $1.1 billion."
In a telephone interview, Martin also referred to the indirect costs borne by residents that come in the form of remittances—or, when the state's illegal immigrant working force sends money home to relatives outside America. The FAIR report includes an estimate from the Inter-American Development Bank that remittances from Virginia to Latin America in 2006 surpassed $1.1 billion.
"That really has a significant impact on the economy of a state," Martin said. "When large flows of money that are earned in the state are leaving the state … production and jobs are diminished in the state."
A hate group?
Perceptions of FAIR vary, and the group's background and mission have been called into question on more than one occasion—even by Prince William County residents.
An email requesting comment sent to the operators of the blog AntiBVBL, a group with members who oppose the Prince William immigration resolution that allows for residency checks on those arrested and that partners with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement for extradition purposes, was not returned in time for deadline.
But on its site, members note that FAIR was "declared a hate group" in 2008 by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a Montgomery, Ala., nonprofit civil rights law firm.
At the same time, the nonprofit Capital Research Center, a Washington, D.C., group that researches the backgrounds and sources of funding for other nonprofits and foundations, characterized the Southern Poverty Law Center in a 2006 report as an organization that "exaggerates the scope of racism in the United States to frighten donors into opening their wallets."
Martin said FAIR has already received some negative feedback on its report.
"There already has been a response from the opposition in which they have taken issue with the costs of illegal immigrant children who are born in their country," he said. "They say that you shouldn't track those costs because the children are legal. Our answer to that is the costs wouldn't have been generated if the parents hadn't been here illegally."
The bulk of the $1.7 billion reportedly goes toward schools. FAIR finds that Virginia tax dollars pay for the education of 95,000 children of illegal immigrants each year, for a total of $1.56 billion.
"Nearly 8 percent of the K-12 public school students in Virginia are children of illegal aliens," according to the report, "and nearly three-fourths of them are in Northern Virginia public schools."
The state pays for another $100 million each year for health care for illegal aliens, FAIR finds. And "the cost of incarcerating illegal aliens in Virginia's state, county and independent city prisons amounts to more than $45 million a year," the report continues.
Corey Stewart, chairman of the Board of County Supervisors and one of the key proponents of Prince William's immigration resolution, said he hadn't yet read the FAIR report.
Supporting figure
But some local statistics collected after Prince William's policy went into effect support the study's findings regarding the extent of the costs of illegal immigration to the community, Stewart said.
"We received information that right after we initiated our crackdown, the number of births by women who were either uninsured or not covered by Medicaid had dropped by 500 births per year," he said. "That's significant because that's how the hospitals were able to identify who illegal immigrants were. If you're legal, you either have insurance or are covered by Medicaid."
Martin said the purpose of the report was to give local activists the tools they need to push for tighter immigration controls, and that one clear step Virginia could take to offset these costs would be to pass legislation requiring employers to verify the work documents of employees.
"That's similar to what Arizona and South Carolina have adopted," he said. "It would go a long way toward discouraging illegal immigrants from coming to this state and at the same time, encouraging those who are here working illegally to leave."
Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Then there is they are all God,s children argument.
Isn’t everyone God,s children? If so, then guess the open borders crowd are saying everyone and anyone has the right to Invade this Nation, waving their flags, demand their rights, while feasting at the trough of public welfare and Kill, Rape and Rob thousands of American citizens each year! There are 100,s of millions probably billions from India, China, Africa, etc. that would like to immigrate to the USA. If it ok for Latinos to pour across our borders then unless the open borders crowd are racist it should be ok for any and all of the world people no matter their Education, Religion, Race, Criminal convictions, Diseases, or Terrorist ties to invade this nation & be rewarded with American citizenship!
There’s the “the U.S. stole the southwest” argument.
Well, the land in dispute was “owned” by Spain for a couple of centuries. Then by Mexico for about 25 years. During these periods, there weren’t more than a few thousand Spaniards or Mexicans in the entire territory. It’s been owned by the U.S. for about 160 years now, much longer than Mexico’s reign. And the U.S. has actually done something with the land, made it habitable for tens of millions. The difference between American and Mexican “twin cities” straddling the border is like night and day, yet the land is obviously the same. It’s not the dirt that’s important, it’s the people. Put another way, if culture didn’t matter, Mexico and Central America would be paradise.
Immigrant Argument!
There’s the “everyone’s an immigrant except for the ‘Native Americans’” argument. Well, the American Indians didn’t sprout from the land, they came across the Bering land bridge from Asia. So if the criterion is “You’re an immigrant if you had an ancestor who immigrated here,“ then American Indians are immigrants, too.
In that case, “immigrant” is no longer a useful word, since Everyone’s an immigrant.
Illegal pay taxes Argument!
There’s the “illegal aliens pay tons of taxes” argument. Sure, they all pay real estate taxes (in rent) and sales taxes (most states). Those working on the books (typically using stolen Social Security numbers) pay FICA and, perhaps, income taxes. But they’re mostly ill-educated and low-skilled and pay very low taxes connected to their working—in fact, most claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, i.e. negative income tax! If a family with both parents working has two kids in school, that’s at least $15k/year just for schooling, way more than the taxes on, say, $35k/year aggregate income.
Robert Rector at the Heritage Foundation has done the systematic accounting on all this. A typical household headed by a low-skilled illegal alien is a net drain of about $20k/year for the rest of us, year after year. (Low-skilled Americans are a similar burden, but they’re part of the national family, not gate crashers from other societies.)
Illegal Bad..Amnesty good Argument!
There’s the “illegal immigration is bad, but make them citizens and problem solved” argument. Nope. If that were the case, legalizing (i.e. amnestying) the illegal aliens would solve the problem. But they’d still be (on average) low-skilled workers whose burden on the rest of us would continue. In fact, once legal they’d be able to access more public benefits programs, so their cost to the rest of us would actually rise substantially. In addition to bringing in their relatives under chain immigration in a never ending chain! In short, all of the problems of mass illegal immigration are shared & increased by mass amnestying them.
Then there is the straw man Argument this Nation cannot afford to deport 12 million people!
Never noting if our Politicians had abide by our Constitution and enforced our Laws there would not be 12 millions to deport. Even worse, there is not 12 million but between 20 and 30 million but the government prefers to lie and down play the number! ( Same as the 1986 Amnesty was more than double the government estimate, so will this one be) At any rate deportation would save billions in the long run over what they will cost this Nation in welfare in the coming years. Every person with less that a high school education cost a average of 55 thousand over their life time, so apply that times the 12 million plus all their relatives & their relatives in a never ending chain & deportation would be a great bargain and save billions if not trillions in the coming years! But deportations is not necessary, just close our borders and enforcing our Laws with E-Verify. Fine companies, imprison executives and cut out the welfare they will self deport. No jobs, No Welfare equals no Illegal Aliens!
Meantime, with millions of Americans without jobs, the invasion continues, no Liberal Democrat will address the 500 pound gorilla in the room, and millions of invading, plundering, welfare loving, Illegal Aliens taking millions of jobs that should be American jobs and 100,s billions of dollars in social services that should be for American citizens!
One cannot be political correct and admit that Illegal Aliens are an large part of the problems in this Nation.
Their negative impact extends to every area from Sub-par loans & defaults, Underground economy, Massive document fraud, Lower standard of living, Crime, Overflowing prisons , Bankrupted hospitals, Failing schools, Property Taxes, Insurance costs, Environment, Culture, Welfare costs, Welfare fraud, SS fraud, Voter fraud, Disrespect for our laws & country, our Constitution against invasion and even Balance of payments occurring from oil and other imports to support the 20 to 30 million illegal aliens in this country!
One has to only look at Calif. which is basically mostly an Spanish speaking, Bankrupt state that cannot afford to provide Welfare, Schooling, Medical, Prison cells etc. for millions of MS-13 Gang bangers, Drug dealers, Rapist and other assorted Criminals and uneducated, fast breeding, third world rejects from Mexico!
In a very few years it will be impossible to see where Mexico ends and Calif. begins as both will be an third world cesspool!
Failure to secure our borders and reward the Invading horde for their invasion and their relatives in an never ending chain with American Citizenship is nothing less than committing National Suicide & will assure our future is an over populated Spanish speaking third world Nation that is an Cesspool of Corruption, Crime, Poverty and Misery modeled on Mexico!
Illegal immigrants fall into one of three primary categories when considering comprehensive immigration reform.
1.) Those whose only crime is a misdemeanor – illegal entry
This group consists of day laborers and others who have not committed identity fraud or other serious crimes. They make up about 30% of the estimated 12 million illegals.
As Pres. Obama has proposed they could be allowed a pathway to citizenship by paying a fine, going to the back of the immigration line and applying for citizenship. Then after the current backlog of legal immigrants has been processed they could be allowed back in the country when their citizenship has been granted.
2.) Those who have committed both a misdemeanor and a felony – illegal entry and identity fraud.
This group consists of construction, manufacturing and service industry workers who have committed identity fraud but no other serious crimes. They make up about 60% of the estimated 12 million illegals.
They have caused irreparable damage to millions of innocent American citizens whose identities were stolen. Since it’s not practical to imprison 7.5 million illegal’s, the government will record their DNA and then deport them with no chance for citizenship.
3.) Those who are career criminals.
This group consists of hardcore criminals and gang members. They make up about 10% of the estimated 12 million illegals.
Many of these perps are already imprisoned. In fact nearly 30% of all Federal and State prisoners are illegal aliens. Both current and future convicted illegal alien career criminals will have their DNA recorded and then deported with no chance for citizenship after completing their sentence. Acquitted illegal aliens will have their DNA recorded and then deported with no chance for citizenship.
Then switch it around to real costs and effects and then figure how many legal immigrants were effected by hiring an unskilled worker for probably less than minimum wage, the cost of paying for stolen social services, the costs of illegal voting, and the costs of paying for the education of their anchor babies in the school system, and finally the cost of paying for the legal immigrants lost wages, lost services, lost jobs, overcrowded schools, more pollution, higher crime rates, sprawl, more traffic, etc. etc. Oh so enjoyable. LOL Chris Cummings
Arizona’s legislature is poised to pass SB 1175. We will become the first state to enable local law enforcement(Sheriff Arpaio, for example) to pick up and charge any illegal alien with criminal trespass. Furthermore, the illegal alien will have to pay incarceration costs. We cannot depend on fickle Federal government to do its sworn duty. States are going to have to protect their citizens from the invasion of illegals.
“If this is too direct for some, to bad, it is just my opinion.“
vmj, it is the way the “message” is being phrased that is not getting listened to.
Change it from a tall grass, crowded housing and lack of parking to a focus on (realistic) economic impact and see if their ears perk up.
I’ll venture to say during the hey-day of new construction, more tax dollars were pouring into communities than were being spent on generic illegal funding - excepting the cost to educate school-aged illegals.
Now, while the economic conditions are reversed, is the time to focus on that message.
“FAIR was “declared a hate group” in 2008 by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a Montgomery, Ala., nonprofit civil rights law firm.“
That’s ironic, the Better Business Bureau hasn’t recognized the SPLC as a creditable charity in years, and yet FAIR just recently had its accreditation renewed.
(http://www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-Reviews/)
The SPLC is also sitting on more than $200 MILLION donor dollars. Not bad for a “non-profit.“
(http://www.splcenter.org/pdf/static/SPLC_annual_report_08.pdf)
Morris Dees, who was a multimillionaire the day he opened the SPLC in 1971, now receives $350,000 donor dollars in compensation annually, which includes the $20,000 donor dollar raise he thoughtfully gave himself last year.
(See page 40 (http://www.splcenter.org/pdf/static/SPLC990_2007.pdf)
In addition, Mr. Dees also receives $10,000 a pop for his frequent speaking engagements.
Sadly, a black civil rights group in Michigan could not come up with that fee and had to cancel Mr. Dees as the featured speaker at their Martin Luther King memorial dinner this past January.
Multimillionaire Dees could not even throw them a freebie in honor of MLK Day.
No dough? No Mo.
(http://www.mlive.com/news/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-15/1231154119210980.xml&coll=8)
Most laughable of all, re the great “civil rights group” moniker is that none of the SPLC’s top officers are minorities.
The only Latinos working for Morris Dees are mowing the lawns of his multimillion dollar Poverty Palace in Montgomery.
(Pages 11 and 40. http://www.splcenter.org/pdf/static/SPLC990_2007.pdf)
You got to love it when multimillionaire hypocrites tell the rest of us how to live.
Washington can seem to find the money for what they want, let them find the money for what we want. Its time the federal government or the states start doing what the majority of the people want and we want them to abide by our laws.
If this is too direct for some, to bad, it is just my opinion. Doesn’t mean much to anyone who does not share it.
Laws are already on the books and need to be enforced and Washington need to hear it. If there is amnesty the majority of people will react and the bunch responsible may just be out of a job.
The argument about illegals and the cost is debatable. Illegals may or may not help or hurt the US that is not the point. I cannot break the law without consequences. People now are living out of their cars and have little or nothing to eat. If they go a steel because their kids are hungry they are going to jail. Why should we treat people here illegally any different from the way we treat our own? Are illegals any more worthy?
Amnesty will fail once again because enough decent and honest people are keeping it in check. Amnesty in 1986 failed and caused a considerably larger problem with an even larger amount of illegal immigrants and their anchor babies. That’s why no lawmaker will sign an amnesty bill into law, because it is the ultimate third rail. Failed in 2006, 2007, and soon to be 2009, even with MCCain and Obama trying to team up and hoodwink us all. They will regret their actions at the ballot and in the streets. This is a Revolution you do not want CASA, Mecha, MS-13, MWB, LA Raza . Does the SPLC consider MS-13 a hate group? They kill blacks with impunity in California and would elsewhere without the efforts against them by certain groups. Does the SPLC consider La Raza a hate group because they have preached against whitey, this includes the scary guy in California Villagarosa, look him up for some fun times on YouTube. LOL Chris Cummings
“illegals ARE a drain on society, no matter how Ray slices it they cost far more than they would ever bring to the table.“
I don’t think I ever said illegals were cost-positive for America, but their costs are not as great as some make it out to be.
I would venture a good percentage of American workers are cost-negative to the country. That’s what being a poor person is.
But .. I remain amused by those that discount my plan, which would tax illegal workers, and their employers, for the very fact of being illegal - REDUCING the gap between what they cost and what they return.
And hey, you all win. I really don’t care. We’ll be having this discussion 5 years from - even after the next round of amnesty - because everyone wants to stand on principle and no one wants to discuss solutions.
The only solutions that will work require spending tons of tax dollars - and we all know how some political parties hate to raise or spend tax dollars in a Not-For-Big-Business-Benefit manner.
Advertisement