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How can the United States afford millions of new immigrants?
By YEH LING-LING


Californians of diverse backgrounds are concerned about overcrowded schools, skyrocketing energy and health care costs. Yet, can any leader effectively address those concerns without opposing amnesty for 12 million illegal immigrants?

Census data show that since 1989 immigrants and their U.S.-born children account for 73 percent of the increase in the uninsured population in the United States.

Also, California schools are struggling in part because of skyrocketing enrollment by students who "come from low-income families or are immigrants who are still learning English" according to last year's Rand Corporation study. If the U.S. Senate version of the amnesty bill were enacted, it would add at least 60 million legal immigrants to the United States over the next 20 years. Newcomers consume energy and need jobs, education, health care and many other services that we have not adequately provided to many legal residents.

Due to their low incomes, most amnestied aliens and their relatives would not have to pay income taxes and could, in fact, receive an earned-income tax credit of up to $4,400 a year.

Not surprisingly, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the amnesty bill will cost $127 billion over the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, many schools across the country have cut programs that adversely impact American students. Many workers are struggling to make ends meet. Furthermore, the United States still has millions of unemployed and underemployed low-skilled legal residents, including Hurricane Katrina victims.

How many more legal immigrants should we continue to welcome knowing that 39 million Americans still live in poverty and 47 million have no health insurance?

Because more than half of the illegal immigrant population in the U.S. came from Mexico, the political impact of another amnesty should not be ignored.

Mexico, while it does not tolerate illegal immigration on its own soil, has actively encouraged illegal migration to the U.S. and vigorously opposed all U.S. efforts to secure our borders.

In 1997, Ernesto Zedillo, then-president of Mexico, stated in Chicago:

"I have proudly affirmed that the Mexican nation extends beyond the territory enclosed by its borders and that Mexican migrants are an important - a very important - part of it."

In 2001, U.S.-born Juan Hernandez, while serving in President Vicente Fox's cabinet, said: "We are betting that the Mexican-American population in the United States ... will think Mexico first."

Although many Mexican Americans are patriotic, during recent demonstrations many protesters waved Mexican flags and pressured the United States with demands identical to Mexico's.

On April 24, Hispanic leaders reportedly met with Mexican lawmakers in Mexico City to discuss the "Great American Boycott" of U.S. businesses

Recently, U.S. Riverside Professor Armando Navarro, who has organized many pro-illegal alien rallies, was quoted as saying: "A new majority is forming. Everything will change. The White House will be within our reach. We might have to change the name to the Brown House .. . We are only doing what any good Jew would do for Israel."

For the sake of all legal residents, American leaders should learn from the disastrous 1986 "comprehensive immigration reform."

That legislation, which amnestied 3 million illegal aliens, has resulted in an explosion of illegal immigration, because most of the provisions in that law meant to secure our borders have been ignored.

In addition, this country has given all sorts of incentives for people to come here or live here illegally.

President Bush and Congress should adopt and enforce immigration laws like Mexico and build a border wall similar to Israel's. Most illegal immigrants will leave if they cannot survive economically. Congress can reassess the situation after three years.