Thread: San Bernardino County spending millions on illegal immigrant

http://www.vvdailypress.com/2006/115175554248065.html

Saturday, July 1, 2006

County spending millions on illegal immigrants



By TRACIE TROHA Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO — San Bernardino County is spending an estimated $38 million annually on health, child care and legal services for illegal immigrants, according to the county grand jury’s new report.

The final report, released on Friday, calls for the Board of Supervisors to require all county departments and agencies to begin tracking and publishing the cost of providing services to illegal immigrants.

Publishing these costs, the report stated, might encourage state and federal governments to “finally take action to solve this issue.”

Of the county’s 58 departments and agencies, at least 20 provide some type of service to illegal immigrants. Only six of those departments were able to give the grand jury a cost estimate for those services.

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center estimates it spends nearly $9 million a year for the treatment of illegal immigrants. ARMC spokesman Jorge Valencia said the federal government reimburses the facility for a portion of those funds, through the federal Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.

“It’s a good thing, because that money wasn’t available to us before,” Valencia said.

He added, however, that the hospital does not ask if patients are illegal, so the cost is determined through a “deducing process.”

The county district attorney and public defender offices each estimate spending $9 million a year for the prosecution and defense of illegal immigrants. The county sheriff and coroner estimate spending $11 million every year on jail costs for those who enter the country illegally, while the Probation Department spends $773,300 annually.

The county also spends a total of $316,232 annually on children’s services for illegal immigrants, including child care, medical treatment, foster care, preschool services, child welfare and food stamps. However, the county is reimbursed at least $173,683, or 55 percent, for some of these children’s services, according to the report.

“The costs for illegal immigrant services provided by the other 14 departments who have no idea of the amount would add substantially to this cost,” the report stated. “There are additional costs for cities to provide services. Obviously, the costs to the federal and state governments have to be enormous.”

The grand jury also recommends that county counsel provide a legal opinion on how to determine the number of illegal immigrant children are in public schools

Other recommendations made by the grand jury include:

Develop a rate structure for air ambulance providers and make emergency communication centers aware at all times of the status of air ambulance equipment.

Increase the public defender’s staff and create a policy that the public defender’s office not accept clients that have the financial resources to hire an attorney.

Relocate the coroner’s High Desert facility until a new facility can be built and increase the coroner’s staff.

Expand the Adelanto Detention Center to add 700 beds.

Return all illegal immigrants being held in county facilities to the U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement.

Immediately build a new adult jail facility on the land purchased in Apple Valley.

Tracie Troha may be reached at 955-5358 or ttroha@vvdailypress.com.

I don't believe that it's only $316,232. Someone isn't reporting correctly.
Food stamps alone is MORE than that amount. Way more.




The county also spends a total of $316,232 annually on children’s services for illegal immigrants, including child care, medical treatment, foster care, preschool services, child welfare and food stamps. However, the county is reimbursed at least $173,683, or 55 percent, for some of these children’s services, according to the report.

Originally Posted by Brian503a

http://www.vvdailypress.com/2006/115175554248065.html

Saturday, July 1, 2006

County spending millions on illegal immigrants



By TRACIE TROHA Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO — San Bernardino County is spending an estimated $38 million annually on health, child care and legal services for illegal immigrants, according to the county grand jury’s new report.

The final report, released on Friday, calls for the Board of Supervisors to require all county departments and agencies to begin tracking and publishing the cost of providing services to illegal immigrants.

Publishing these costs, the report stated, might encourage state and federal governments to “finally take action to solve this issue.”

Of the county’s 58 departments and agencies, at least 20 provide some type of service to illegal immigrants. Only six of those departments were able to give the grand jury a cost estimate for those services.

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center estimates it spends nearly $9 million a year for the treatment of illegal immigrants. ARMC spokesman Jorge Valencia said the federal government reimburses the facility for a portion of those funds, through the federal Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.

“It’s a good thing, because that money wasn’t available to us before,” Valencia said.

He added, however, that the hospital does not ask if patients are illegal, so the cost is determined through a “deducing process.”

The county district attorney and public defender offices each estimate spending $9 million a year for the prosecution and defense of illegal immigrants. The county sheriff and coroner estimate spending $11 million every year on jail costs for those who enter the country illegally, while the Probation Department spends $773,300 annually.

The county also spends a total of $316,232 annually on children’s services for illegal immigrants, including child care, medical treatment, foster care, preschool services, child welfare and food stamps. However, the county is reimbursed at least $173,683, or 55 percent, for some of these children’s services, according to the report.

“The costs for illegal immigrant services provided by the other 14 departments who have no idea of the amount would add substantially to this cost,” the report stated. “There are additional costs for cities to provide services. Obviously, the costs to the federal and state governments have to be enormous.”

The grand jury also recommends that county counsel provide a legal opinion on how to determine the number of illegal immigrant children are in public schools

Other recommendations made by the grand jury include:

Develop a rate structure for air ambulance providers and make emergency communication centers aware at all times of the status of air ambulance equipment.

Increase the public defender’s staff and create a policy that the public defender’s office not accept clients that have the financial resources to hire an attorney.

Relocate the coroner’s High Desert facility until a new facility can be built and increase the coroner’s staff.

Expand the Adelanto Detention Center to add 700 beds.

Return all illegal immigrants being held in county facilities to the U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement.

Immediately build a new adult jail facility on the land purchased in Apple Valley.

Tracie Troha may be reached at 955-5358 or ttroha@vvdailypress.com.

At the risk of sounding stupid, can anyone explain to me why that's not misappropriation of funds?