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Immigration Debate: Illegal Immigrants & Taxes
created: 9/28/2006 6:42:35 PM
updated: 9/28/2006 7:23:23 PM

By Cordell Whitlock

KSDK - Valley Park's immigration ordinance has fueled local debate on the issue.

Supporters of the law seem to echo the sentiments expressed by Susan Brust after Tuesday night's vote. "If you're an illegal immigrant, you're not paying taxes. You are using up our public funding and you're sending your kids to school for free," said Brust, who is a Valley Park resident.

"Undocumented immigrants do pay both federal and state income taxes," says Steven Legomsky, an international law professor at Washington University. Legomsky says many illegal immigrants work for legitimate companies that deduct taxes from paychecks. "It is true that, from time to time, an undocumented worker will paid in cash under the table, but the same is true for U.S. citizens, and, on balance, the amount undocumented workers pay in the balance of taxes are equal to the amount they receive in government services."

But according to a study by the Center for Immigration Studies in 2004, illegal immigrants created a $10 billion deficit in the economy because of low incomes and tax payments. Janet Renner heads the grassroots group "Missourians Against Illegal Immigration." "The people with false documents they don't submit tax forms. They don't abide by any of our rules," said Renner.

According to the Social Security Administration, there are billions of dollars in tax payments that cannot be matched to social security numbers. Officials believe a significant portion of that money corresponds to the earnings of illegal immigrants. Renner says undocumented workers are still breaking the law and are a burden on the system. "I have to walk the line. I have to follow the law and they are giving a pass to people who don't belong in this country," said Renner.

Professor Legomsky says Missouri has an estimated 30,000 illegal immigrants, in his opinion not nearly enough to place a burden on Missouri's economy. Janet Renner says if nothing is done to shore up America's borders, everyone will suffer.