Thread: Transcript: Dobbs report on Mexicans and SS

DOBBS: An agreement with Mexico awaiting the president's signature could put benefits from our overburdened Social Security system in the hands of hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens.

And Immigration Customs Enforcement finds itself under legal attack over its raids that swept up more than 1,200 illegal aliens.

Christine Romans tonight reports on a government plan that will make it easier for illegal aliens to collect U.S. Social Security.

Bill Tucker reports on the Catholic Church and its efforts to attack ICE for its raids on illegal workers.

But first we turn to Christine Romans with an astounding story -- Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lou, after three and a half years of legal battle, details are emerging now about an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico to expand Social Security benefits to Mexican citizens working in the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS (voice over): An illegal alien working with a fraudulent Social Security number has been paying into Social Security. Once that worker gains legal status, he can claim those Social Security credits and tap into Social Security benefits.

The Bush administration wants Mexico's citizens working in this country to qualify for Social Security payments and, in some cases, illegal aliens will benefit, too. The U.S.-Mexico Social Security Totalization Act will help workers qualify even sooner, in as little as 18 months.

SHANNON BENTON, TREA SENIOR CITIZENS LEAGUE: As far as how much they have to work in the United States to eliminate the dual taxation and claim benefits here in the U.S., they would only have to work six credits.

ROMANS: She represents 1.2 million senior citizens who filed a Freedom of Information Act request to get a look at the agreement which awaits the president's signature. Critics say it's a costly giveaway at a time when Social Security's solvency is in doubt. But the Social Security Administration estimates the agreement will cost $105 million for the first years and will have "... a negligible long- range effect on the Social Security trust fund."

But there have been concerns for years about this. The Government Accountability Office in 2003 warned, "The proposed agreement will likely increase the number of unauthorized Mexican workers and family members eligible for Social Security benefits."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: The White House today says the president has not yet signed this agreement and he has no immediate plans to. But under current law, many of these benefits are already available to illegal aliens once they do gain legal status -- Lou.

DOBBS: Now, let's put this in context.

ROMANS: Sure.

DOBBS: It takes an American citizen 10 years to gain Social Security eligibility and benefits? ROMANS: That's right.

DOBBS: An illegal alien, under this law, should the president have the temerity to sign it -- and he's shown no reluctance to work on behalf of the Mexican government -- how long do they have to work?

ROMANS: Six credits they call it. That's 18 months. So they work eight and a half years in Mexico, and then the U.S. government recognizes that time in Mexico as part of the 10 years it's needed in the United States.

DOBBS: That is absolutely insane. How do they excuse this? And how do they come up with an estimate of $105 million?

This government doesn't even know how many illegal aliens are in this country. Somewhere between 11 million and 20 million are the estimates.

So how can they have an estimate of any kind?

ROMANS: Well, that's something the GAO pointed out. They said any -- any risk would be to the high side of any kind of estimates. But the Social Security Administration disputed that GAO finding.

In terms of how they can -- how they can, you know, say that they want to do this with Mexico, they do it with 21 other countries. But those are industrialized countries. And the critics point out that their Social Security operations in, say, Switzerland, in Canada and some of these other countries, the U.K., are far, far different than Mexico's.

DOBBS: And this president, with the audacity to go forward with this -- I mean, this is -- just when you think that this government can't show more arrogance or more ignorance on the issue of border security and immigration, it outdoes itself.

Christine, thank you very much.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

DOBBS: Christine Romans.

ANOTHER ANTI AMERICAN MOVE!