Thread: Policy needed to address costs of illegal immigration

Policy needed to address costs of illegal immigration

By Jaron Halford

Published: Thursday, February 3, 2011

Updated: Thursday, February 3, 2011 00:02

The national illegal immigrant population residing in the United States is currently more than four and a half times the total population of Utah and costs more to national taxpayers than the total value of Utah's 2010 gross domestic product. The illegal immigration problem hits closer to home than most of us care to realize.

For instance, conservative estimates in 2010 put Utah's state and local cost expenditures on illegal immigrants at $453 million, according to an article by the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Conversely, estimates put the property, sales and income taxes collected from illegal immigrants in Utah at $31.1 million. There is certainly a massive cost incurred by the Utah taxpayers in regards to supporting illegal immigrants within the state. However, the focus needs to be more on how to transform this problem into an efficient, equitable and legally viable situation.

Current illegal immigrant population estimates in Utah hover around 100,000, or roughly the size of Sandy or West Jordan. The illegal immigrant influx has been a growing trend over the years, but the recent recession did put a damper on the wave of total Hispanic migration to the state. As it stands now, the total Hispanic population of Utah is around 324,000, or 12 percent of the total Utah population. How do these numbers affect Utah's economy and society?

Let's look at the economic implications first. Illegal immigrants represent 4.9 percent of Utah's labor force. This illegal workforce is heavily concentrated in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Both sectors combine to represent 16.7 percent of Utah's GDP and provide 14.7 percent of the total Utah workforce. Illegal immigrants do not dictate Utah's economic well-being—however, they do impact two of its pivotal sectors.

What about the social, or equity side, of the problem? Estimates show that Utah taxpayers paid for 26,922 K-12 students of illegal immigrants in 2010. In doing so, taxpayers spent on average $8,885 per student for a total of $239 million. Utah taxpayers spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for DREAM Act (House Bill 144) students as well. Last year, Utah taxpayers also spent a total of $67.6 million on medical costs for illegal immigrants and their children.

The funds spent on illegal immigrants in Utah far surpass the amount of taxes Utah collects from illegal immigrants. Our society certainly gains utility from educating many of these children who call Utah home, but our future objective needs to focus on not only creating future value within the Hispanic community as a whole, but more on ensuring that our future will be liberated from the costs that they impose on Utahns.

A viable solution to the current problems needs to address three main issues. First, regardless of national border leniency, Utah needs to thwart any incentives for being here illegally. Granted, this might not be an efficient measure at first—policies need to focus on ensuring that illegal immigrants are not an untapped resource and a subsequent burden floating around in society. Second, future policies need to be the most cost-effective measures in addressing this situation. Rounding up every illegal immigrant might not be cost-friendly or always appropriate. Future policies need to be constructed in a manner that efficiently and legally fuses illegal immigrants into our community. Thirdly, immigration policies cannot be myopic. Future trends indicate that the United States will be in need of immigrant workers to fill our inevitable labor gap in the short future. A viable solution needs to be robust enough to incorporate all three problem areas.

Bottom line, we are the makers of our future. Do we want to spend $453 million to support illegal immigrants, or do we want to spend $340 million to build a convention center hotel that will create jobs and bring in much-needed revenue to the state? Maybe we don't desire either, or maybe we desire both. Whatever we decide, we must remember that many illegal immigrants call Utah home. However, we must not forget that illegal immigrants impose a huge cost on the state of Utah. Any solution must take both of these issues into account as well.

Jaron Halford,

Bachelor's of Political Science '09

Bachelor's of International Studies '10

Master's Student, Public Policy

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opini ... -1.2456574

So the information from Fed. for American Immigration Reform, is they're fact sheet on the up and up cause next week the judiciary committee meets to discuss SB6 and that is the only thing I'll keep throwin' out there is the cost to our state. The Advo. Groups had a rally today at our state capital, it was snowing and raining ice cold rain, and the media didn't even mention it,
plus a immigration lawyer said in an editorial that "if your here illegally, I wouldn't go!" Come back!

For instance, conservative estimates in 2010 put Utah's state and local cost expenditures on illegal immigrants at $453 million, according to an article by the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Conversely, estimates put the property, sales and income taxes collected from illegal immigrants in Utah at $31.1 million. There is certainly a massive cost incurred by the Utah taxpayers in regards to supporting illegal immigrants within the state. However, the focus needs to be more on how to transform this problem into an efficient, equitable and legally viable situation.

Giving them amnesty is not going to stop illegal aliens from sucking at the public teat. They won't magically become self-supporting.

The only efficient, equitable and legally viable solution is to deport them back to their own countries. It's the LAW.

I'd like to see what would happen if they shut down welfare to all illegals and their children matter status, cut off all healthcare to illegals and their children matter status, removed automatic citizenship for children, removed illegals from higher learning all together and cut them out of the public school system saying pay private if you want education for your children.

But leave the jobs for the moment.

I'd bet they would still leave in large number as those jobs don't pay enough under the table wages when someone has to pay their own education, food, housing, healthcare bills (no healthcare without cash up front of course), and didn't have a way to gain legal status in the US.... ever. Would prove the "only" job theory completely wrong.

Of course cut the jobs out afterwards also once the point is made heh.

It does not matter what state it is. Illegals are taking jobs that REAL AMERICANS should be working at. We do not need the illegals taxes. If REAL Americans were working the same jobs they would be paying the same taxes and cutting the rolls of the unemployeed as well. Removing illegals from receiving social services like food stamps, free medical, free schooling, will save billions of taxpayers money. Latino press paints only a filtered part of the story. Bottom line is removal of illegals is good business for the USA. Savings in supporting them, getting jobs back into the hands of REAL AMERICANS, restoring pride int he USA and not in the mexican flag. Is high time the stars and stripes flew in every community and not having parts of our country pledging to a foreign, corrupt, and third world country. NO AMNISTY, STOP THE HANDOUTS to ILLEGALS, TIME TO RAMP UP THE DEPORTTIONS

Originally Posted by miguelina

For instance, conservative estimates ...

Giving them amnesty is not going to stop illegal aliens from sucking at the public teat. They won't magically become self-supporting.

The only efficient, equitable and legally viable solution is to deport them back to their own countries. It's the LAW.

Amnesty will make it worse. They will all qualify and it will increase the welfare benefits to households with illegal aliens. Amnesty is insanity.

Dixie

Here's my solution - deduct all costs of illegal immigrants and their jackpot babies in the U.S. plus the total sum of remittances to Mexico from any foreign assistance we send to that country.

The costs to arrest, prosecute and deport illegals can be greatly reduced.Streamling the judicial system, simplify and cut all the red tape and paperwork. Detain the suspect check if documented, fill out a simple form showing that the personhas no documentation, judge signs it and deport them in mass. The larger the numbers the cheaper the transportation cost will be.

Originally Posted by BillCunnane

It does not matter what state it is. Illegals are taking jobs that REAL AMERICANS should be working at. We do not need the illegals taxes. If REAL Americans were working the same jobs they would be paying the same taxes and cutting the rolls of the unemployeed as well. Removing illegals from receiving social services like food stamps, free medical, free schooling, will save billions of taxpayers money.

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