Thread: CA: Cutting off services to illegal immigrants easier said t

Cutting off services to illegal immigrants easier said than done

By MICHAEL GARDNER
Orange County Register
April 15, 2011
SACRAMENTO, CA

Services to illegal immigrants not so easy to cut

Court rulings require California to teach every child regardless of citizenship. Ditto for treating emergency cases in the hospital. All children born in this country are citizens, so counties are required to provide cash aid and other services, even if the parents are here illegally. And the federal government has been pretty stingy when it comes to reimbursing states for the rising tab.

While Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers wrestle with the budget crisis, some Californians are adamant that much of the problem can be laid at the feet of people who are in the country illegally.

Their message is: Stop teaching the kids, cut off welfare checks and ship the prisoners back home.

That way, billions of dollars spent on services could be put to work cutting the deficit, paying for vital programs and keeping tax increases at bay.

But that's easier said than done.

Court rulings require California to teach every child regardless of citizenship. Ditto for treating emergency cases in the hospital. All children born in this country are citizens, so counties are required to provide cash aid and other services, even if their parents are here illegally. And the federal government has been pretty stingy when it comes to reimbursing states for the rising tab.

California is home to more undocumented immigrants than any other state. There were nearly 2.6 million here in 2010, according to the Department of Homeland Security. More than half are from Mexico.

With so many here, there is certainly a case to be made that taxpayers spend billions of dollars to support them, mostly in classrooms, hospitals and prisons.

But there is an equally sound case to be made that, while here, many illegal immigrants pay into the system, from sales tax on clothes to property tax on homes. Many paychecks are docked for Social Security contributions that likely will never be collected.

There have been a handful of studies from the left and right, as well as a report by the Congressional Budget Office, assessing the cost and contributions of undocumented immigrants. But all are based on a series of estimates; none have been received as definitive.

In California, the closest to an unbiased review is offered by the state Legislative Analyst's Office. The nonpartisan analyst pegs the state's costs at $4.2 billion. But even then, some information is imprecise, mostly because accurate figures are hard to come by.

In an interview, Deputy Legislative Analyst Dan Carson, who tracks the issue, said it is impossible to pinpoint how much could be saved, given legal constraints.

In many instances "you need federal and court" action, Carson said. Also, any effort to cut back services to immigrants would be accompanied with major policy headaches, such as how to release prisoners or how to refuse vital medical care.

Consider the prisons. It's one thing to deport inmates once they have done their time and are about to be released. But sending convicted felons back home, with no guarantee that they would serve their sentences, would be giving them lighter treatment than legal residents who commit the same crimes. It is conceivable that a convicted murderer could be deported, released by his home country and return to California to offend again.

Anti-illegal immigration lawmakers are not convinced. They believe the state exaggerates the barriers to taking action – mostly to avoid riling a huge Latino constituency.

"That's a dodge. We're not handcuffed," said Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, an outspoken critic of immigration policy. He believes the state could find billions if policymakers could only muster the will. "There's a lot we can do, but it's not politically correct to do it," Donnelly said.

Donnelly said he does not advocate tossing kids out of class or refusing to treat seriously hurt undocumented aliens. He also recognizes the legal obstacles.

Rather, he proposes a broader, long-term strategy ranging from more border enforcement to a Marshall Plan to invest in Mexico. Many of the measures he advocates would likely have to include actions by the federal government.

That includes tougher verification of immigration status before hiring. He also favors a guest-worker program, with caveats. Among those: allow workers to come here as long as they go back to their home country first. They would have first-call on entry since they already have a job. But they would have to take their family home and leave them there to make sure taxpayers are not billed for services.

That would also produce more income taxes for the state by limiting the underground economy, he said.

Donnelly said there are savings to be had immediately. For example, stepped up verification of status could also save taxpayers millions by eliminating fraudulent collection of aid. Those here illegally also should not be allowed to use hospitals for routine care.

The conservative-leaning Federation for American Immigration Reform estimates that the national bill for undocumented immigration is $113 billion every year. Of that, California's share is $21.75 billion, including state and federal costs. That figure takes in the cost of services, from education to housing assistance to medical care, as well as law enforcement to patrol borders and keep criminals in jail. The group said contributions from those here illegally, such as paying into Social Security and other taxes, amounts to $13.4 billion.

The report, compiled in July 2010 and revised earlier this year, used as its foundation an estimate of 13 million people in the country illegally. The FAIR study drew on existing census information and extrapolated various costs associated with everything from courts to schools to welfare. But it also included costs of migrant education, the immigration review office, the National Guard and Coast Guard.

The state Legislative Analyst study was not as broad, keeping its research focused on the state's largest program costs.

The Congressional Budget Office in December 2007 released an analysis of 29 various reports over 15 years. The federal office concluded that "state and local governments incur costs for providing services to unauthorized immigrants and have limited options for avoiding or minimizing these costs."

Also, the federal office determined that taxes paid by undocumented immigrants do not offset the cost of services and federal aid does not fully repay states for expenses.

San Diego State University professor John Weeks, in a 2006-2007 study, estimated that it cost San Diego County $101.5 million that year to provide services. About three-fourths of that was related to law enforcement, he said.

Legal residents paid an average of $38.15 in taxes toward the bill in 2007, Weeks estimated. The population in the county illegally was placed at nearly 210,000 in 2007 – more than double the 1990 estimate.

Costs aside, the immigrants contributions to the California economy have to be part of any debate, Weeks said in an interview this month. Forcing immigrants to leave, he said, would be a blow to the economy given the kinds of jobs they are willing to do and the taxes they pay.

"Certainly sending people back to Mexico may not solve the budget crisis. It may only make it worse," Weeks said.

"Illegal immigrants are not the only problem for the American economy." Weeks said. He called them an "exploited class" who provide "goods and services at a cost Americans otherwise couldn't afford to pay."

Critics counter that with so many legal residents out of work, the jobs could be filled quickly. More importantly, the broader philosophical belief remains: why should anyone reward someone in this country illegally? Providing services only encourages more illegal immigrants to cross the border without papers, they say.

Gov. Brown straddled the middle when asked recently about the cost of illegal immigration.

"It's a difficult question," he replied.

"There are a lot of illegal immigrant people working that pay Social Security but can never collect it. They work at very low wages Californians wouldn't otherwise (accept) ... Then you have the ones who graduated from our schools and some are making enormous contributions ... So you've got to net out. What the net is, is a matter of great dispute.

Conservatives say it's one thing and more liberal-minded people say it's another."

And what does he say?

"I don't think the evidence is clear," Brown answered.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/-296582--.html

WOW. Again every comment there against the IA's. A few years ago you'd see a lot more bleeding hearts and race baiters, but not any more. I like that.

Gives one hope.

Originally Posted by SicNTiredInSoCal

A few years ago you'd see a lot more bleeding hearts and race baiters, but not any more. I like that.

Gives one hope.

The tide is turning. Americans are increasingly looking for enforcement. The unemployment numbers and the food stamps numbers are causing people to wake up.
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Actually with that idiot Moonbeam Brown it is easier to cut off services and benefits to senior citizens, indigent Californians and veterans. Most of the fraud and waste amounting to tens of billions of dollars annually in benefits for illegal aliens can be stopped by implementing e-verify at every public office. Unfortunately the will to do so isn't there because most of the idiots in the Mexifornia Senate and Assembly are most likely illegal aliens posing as US politicians, and Moonbeam is owned by unions looking for more dues paying members and illegal alien voters so politicians can continue stealing elections with illegal alien votes.
I sent a scathing letter to that drug addled 60's reject Brown laying out the problems in his state and how he can solve most of them but instead turns a blind eye forcing Mexifornians to suffer the consequences. Just another exercise in futility. Still too many liberal fruitcakes and nuts out there divorced from reality.

While Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers wrestle with the budget crisis, some Californians are adamant that much of the problem can be laid at the feet of people who are in the country illegally.

This Country is broken, due to unlawful invasions of illegal immigrants. Any person will not agree to this has a major problem. And our Justice System may need new laws enacted, because too many law rulings pertaining to illegal immigrants are unjustified.

With so many here, there is certainly a case to be made that taxpayers spend billions of dollars to support them, mostly in classrooms, hospitals and prisons.

Truly sad. Simply abusing taxpayers money in every way possible. God bless America.

Do away witht he Anchor Baby ruling, and do away with having to teach every kid no matter if documented or not will really kick opent he door, allow states to finally rid themselves of the illegals who are draining the economy. If we have to give medical service to illegals then make them report that they are here illegally before service is rendered and then arrest them once treatment is finished.

Some 30 years later, the Supreme Court of Brown V. Board of Education decision is coming home to roost. It's complete insanity that we should be required to teach any kid that happens to make their way to the school house steps, irrespective of citizenship. That decison is helping to destroying this country and needs to be overturned before its too late, which it almost is.

The tide is turning.

in sacramento, one bill gill cedillo and his democrats who love the illegals will do anything and everything to kill any kind of bills that punish them

jamesw62 wrote: "in sacramento, one bill gill cedillo and his democrats who love the illegals will do anything and everything to kill any kind of bills that punish them"

Yeah, and do you know that Cedillo is AT IT AGAIN?????? He already has 2 Illegal Immigrant Bills Ready to Go - Once again, He has a Bill that will be introduced to ALLOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO OBTAIN DRIVER'S LICENSES, AAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNDDDD HE HAS A BILL READY TO INTRODUCE THAT IS CALLED "THE CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT BILL" THAT ALLOWS IN-STATE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS....