Thread: House panel hosts illegal immigration hearing in San Diego

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cct ... 183586.htm

Posted on Wed, Aug. 02, 2006

House panel hosts illegal immigration hearing in San Diego

ALLISON HOFFMAN
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO - House Republicans, speaking Wednesday at a field hearing aimed at exposing flaws in rival Senate legislation, said illegal immigrants cost taxpayers by straining government services.

Democrats said GOP leaders were stalling to avoid a bruising fight within their party over a sweeping immigration overhaul before November midterm elections.

The House Judiciary Committee met at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in what Republicans billed as a hearing to examine "the tremendous burden" that Senate legislation would impose on taxpayers to pay for health care, education and other services. About 100 people attended the 90-minute hearing.

"If we do not control the costs of illegal immigration we will be shutting the door to legal immigration," said House Judiciary Committee Chair James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., who authored legislation approved by the House in December that focuses on tougher enforcement.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich said illegal immigration was a "catastrophic" drain on public schools, hospitals and the criminal justice system, costing the county more than $1 billion a year.

But Wayne Cornelius, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, testified that a guest worker program would allow illegal immigrants to freely go back and forth to their home countries rather than staying in the U.S. permanently, reducing the burden on public coffers.

Democrats asked why hearings were being held after bills have already passed.

"These hearings are a con job on the American people," said Rep. Howard Berman, D-North Hollywood, who accused Republicans of avoiding a fight within the party ahead of elections. President Bush supports a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants, provisions that were included in Senate legislation passed in May.

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, defended the timing.

"The reason it's a good idea to have them now is that we're at an impasse," Gohmert said."

In July, House Republicans launched the unusual series of summer field hearings, including seven this week. They meet Thursday in Phoenix and Las Cruces, N.M.

Sensenbrenner has repeatedly said that he would reject a compromise that includes what he describes as "amnesty" for illegal immigrants.

Before the hearing, Catholic leaders including the Rev. Gilbert Chavez, auxiliary bishop of San Diego, gathered on the steps of downtown's St. Joseph Cathedral to denounce the hearings.

"It's time to put an end to these hearings that are asking all the wrong questions," said Rosemary Johnston, a board member of the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

---

Associated Press Writer Elliot Spagat contributed to this report.

God help they should try to educate themselves about this before passing a law that would be the biggest mistake congress has ever made if it is passed. These people want to have their way at the cost of our nation and it's citizens. They have no loyalty to this country or it's people.

But Wayne Cornelius, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, testified that a guest worker program would allow illegal immigrants to freely go back and forth to their home countries rather than staying in the U.S. permanently, reducing the burden on public coffers

This guy ain't too bright...Immigrants are not going to go back to their country if the living conditions are no better than a sewer rat living in a dump. They will come here to stay here.

A political scientist? I didn't think politics was a science. I merely thought it was an art you have to learn to baffle the public w/ your BS.

Just who is Rosemary Johnson to tell anyone to put an end to hearings for the citizens of this country because she believes people are asking the wrong questions?? My belief is that she isn't hearing what she wants to hear so everyone must shut their mouths? Do believe this is still a free country and if she doesn't like it.....go where it isn't and quit ruining our country with the overpopulation, overcrowded schools, overcrowded medical facilities and stampeding of our borders!

Democrats said GOP leaders were stalling to avoid a bruising fight within their party over a sweeping immigration overhaul before November midterm elections.

I'm tired of the Dems saying the Reps are just stalling because even if they are what would the Dems do regarding the situation? They'd grant amnesty to every living thing that breaths as long as it could vote.

I still say just perhaps the House is getting good info such as statistics, costs, etc. to take back to DC and hammer into some of those thick skulled stupid congress people the insane situation this country is in and it has got to stop or we can kiss this country goodbye. This isn't being racist, it is being a realist!

http://www.10news.com/news/9620142/detail.html

Report: Illegal Immigration Could Cost Taxpayers Trillions
Congressional Hearing On Immigration Held In San Diego

POSTED: 6:34 pm PDT August 2, 2006
UPDATED: 6:47 pm PDT August 2, 2006

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SAN DIEGO -- Future costs for illegal immigrants in the United States will reach a half a trillion dollars, a Heritage Foundation researcher said Wednesday at congressional hearing in San Diego.

The influx of illegal immigrants has effectively "imported about 10 million high school dropouts into the United States," said Robert Rector, a senior research fellow in welfare and family issues for the Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

Rector testified before the House Judiciary Committee, which convened at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot for one in a series of hearings on illegal immigration this month.

The hearings are a rebuttal to a Senate bill that House members believe will result in amnesty for illegal immigrants.

The topic of the discussion was the fiscal impacts of illegal immigration.

The National Academy of Sciences estimated that each immigrant will result in a $100,000 net annual cost to taxpayers.

Rector said once illegal immigrants become citizens they can bring family members into the country, straining education and health care budgets.

"This Senate bill will become the largest expansion of the welfare system in 30 years and it's the wrong thing to do," he said.

Wayne Cornelius, director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at UC San Diego, said tighter border security would not stop or even discourage migrants from crossing into the country.

"Even if they are caught, they try again until they are successful," Cornelius told the committee. "Our research shows that 92 to 97 percent of them succeed on the first or second try."

According to Cornelius, his research team interviewed 1,300 migrants over the last 18 months.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., the committee's chairman, said hospitals in the Southwestern United States are losing $190 million annually per year for uncompensated health care from illegal immigrants.

Nineteen percent of federal inmates are not citizens, he said.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich said "illegal immigration tears at the moral and economic fabric of the country."

"The fiscal drain is catastrophic," Antonovich said.

According to Antonovich, 12 percent of the 10.2 million residents of Los Angeles County are illegal immigrants.

Thirty percent of public health patients in the county are illegal immigrants, he testified.

The hearing is one in a series being held nationwide at a time when the Senate and House of Representatives are deadlocked over competing immigration legislation.

House Republicans beginning with Sensenbrenner argue that the Senate bill, which provides a pathway to eventual legalized status for some illegal immigrants, amounts to an amnesty.

Democrats have dismissed the series of hearings as an election-year ploy not intended to produce genuine reform.

Rep. Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys, questioned the rationale for the hearings.

"These hearings are a con job on the American people," Berman said. "They want to avoid a conference (committee) because the bill splits their party and it is an election year."

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, said the hearings, 19 of which are scheduled this month, are "not a waste of time."

Issa said the House and Senate are deadlocked between stronger enforcement and amnesty. Issa said he believes the House will not get to a conference with the Senate on the issue before the November election.

The We Are America/Somos America Alliance said in a statement yesterday that Wednesday's hearing would only "further delay a meaningful solution to the nation's immigration crisis."

"Immigrants contribute to and participate in our society," it read.

The group said the House Judiciary Committee hearings "are intended to associate immigrants with terrorists and present this hard-working community as a drain our our society's resources."

Another Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration was held early last month at an Imperial Beach U.S. Border Patrol station. The next is scheduled to be held in Santee on Saturday.

We Are America/Somos America Alliance said:

The group said the House Judiciary Committee hearings "are intended to associate immigrants with terrorists and present this hard-working community as a drain our our society's resources."

That's right! I do not doubt many are very hard working but they are a tremendous drain on our society - schools, jails, hospitals, the list goes on and on. Just how many pro-illegal immigrant groups are there now? I haven't heard of this one.

http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_4128642

Hearing examines border proposal
Lawmakers discuss immigration reforms
Sara A. Carter, Staff Writer
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

SAN DIEGO - Illegal immigrants cost local communities millions of dollars each year in public safety, health-care costs and education costs, House Judiciary Committee members were told Wednesday at the latest in a series of government field hearings about immigration.
But the panel also heard that a guest-worker program -- a key component of the Senate immigration proposal derided by many House lawmakers -- would cause less of a drain on the U.S. economy than harsh immigration laws.

The mainly Republican panel of representatives said the hearing was to examine the Reid-Kennedy immigration bill, which was approved by the Senate in May. In addition to its guest-worker component, that proposal calls for a path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., the committee chairman, said the hearings are necessary to ensure that any immigration reform is thoroughly thought out. He said past mistakes would not be repeated and cited as an example the Simpson-Mazzoli bill of 1986, which gave amnesty to more than 3 million illegal immigrants without any real enforcement against those still entering the country illegally.

"While immigration is an emotional issue for millions of Americans, we cannot allow emotion alone to dictate the manner in which we respond to this pressing national issue," Sensenbrenner said. "I believe that the American people expect and deserve members of Congress to approach immigration policy in a thoughtful, factual and responsible manner."

Democrats asked why hearings were being held after bills have already passed.

"These hearings are a con job on the American people," said Rep. Howard Berman, D-North Hollywood, who accused Republicans of avoiding a fight within the party ahead of elections. President Bush supports the Senate's proposal.

Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, defended the timing.

"The reason it's a good idea to have them now is that we're at an impasse," Gohmert said.

The hearing, held at the Bayview Restaurant at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, was filled to capacity with residents and media. Sensenbrenner was compelled to ask for quiet several times as some congressional leaders were hissed and others cheered by audience members.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, spoke against the strict House bill, saying that the panel hearing was nothing more than a "myth." She was booed by audience members when she held up military insignia given to her by an American soldier in Spain waiting to be reunited with his wife, who is an illegal immigrant.

"This is the person we are maligning here today," Jackson said as she pointed to the soldier's bars.

Five witnesses, most of them in favor of stricter border and workplace enforcement, were questioned by the panel. They included Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich; Kevin J. Burns, chief financial officer at University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz.; Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation; Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca; and Wayne Cornelius, a professor at the University of California, San Diego.

Antonovich opened the hearing, saying illegal immigration is crippling Los Angeles County's budget. Antonovich said that of the 10.2 million people who live in the county, nearly 12 percent -- more than 1.2 million --are illegal immigrants.

"The fiscal drain on the taxpayers by those who are here illegally is catastrophic,"Antonovich said. "In public safety, health care and social services, illegal (immigrants) cost Los Angeles County taxpayers nearly $1 billion per year. This does not even include the cost for education."

Further, Antonovich said, officials with the county estimate nearly 26 percent of visits to county emergency centers are made by illegal immigrants, costing the county untold millions more dollars.

Rector, a senior fellow with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., delivered a similar message to the committee and added that if it becomes law, the cost of the Senate's immigration proposal to taxpayers would be insurmountable.

"The National Academy of Sciences has estimated that each immigrant who has not completed high school will impose a net cost on U.S. taxpayers of nearly $100,000 over his lifetime," Rector said. "In the long run, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (Senate bill), if enacted, would prove the largest expansion of government welfare in 35 years. The overall governmental costs of the amnesty could be $30 billion per year or higher."

Cornelius, the UCSD professor, disagreed with Rector, saying that strict border enforcement would only make a bad situation worse. Cornelius said a comprehensive package that offers a guest-worker program and legalization for illegal immigrants already in the country would be a better plan, as it would allow illegal immigrants to freely go back and forth to their home countries rather than staying in the United States permanently, reducing the burden on public coffers.

Baca, who heads the largest sheriff's department in the United States, reminded congressional leaders that any plans to include local law enforcement in enforcing immigration law would cost more than $100 million, and that the decision to use local law enforcement to apprehend illegal immigrants should be left up to local communities, not the federal government.

Nearly 26 percent of L.A. County Jail inmates are illegal immigrants, Baca said, and 70 percent of criminal illegal immigrants recommit crimes within five years.

"Even after they're deported, they find their way back in," Baca said. "In order to be effective, that border needs to be secure. Sheriffs in our county cannot enforce the law without the proper funding."

The Senate bill is in stark contrast to the House's border enforcement bill, which passed in mid-December. Critics have called the House bill --commonly referred to as the Sensenbrenner bill -- draconian in nature, saying it criminalizes illegal immigrants.

Republican hard-liners counter that the legislation is a necessary step to stop the flow of millions of illegal immigrants into the United States.

Wednesday's hearing was the most recent of 19 immigration hearings held by various House and Senate committees so far this year. The Judiciary Committee is to hold its second hearing Aug. 17 in El Paso, Texas.

"I'm of the opinion that these hearings are serving two useful purposes," said TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing nearly 7,000 Border Patrol agents. Bonner, who has testified at several federal hearings this year, was in the audience Wednesday. "One, it educates the people about the harmful provisions in the Senate bill, and two, that no legislation is better than bad legislation."


The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Sara A. Carter can be reached by e-mail at sara.carter@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-8552.