Illegal Immigration
How it harms America.
General Fiscal Burden
• Many studies show that immigrants cost
taxpayers much more in public services used
than they pay into the system via taxes. (Martin)
• This is particularly true of the
disproportionately low-skilled and thus lowearning workers who are much more likely to be
working in the underground economy or
providing contractual services and not
withholding taxes. (Martin)
Education Costs
• According to the Federation for American Immigration
Reform, the total K-12 school expenditure for illegal
immigrants costs the states nearly $12 billion annually, and
when the children born here to illegal aliens are added, the
costs more than double to $28.6 billion. (Martin)
• Special programs for non-English speakers are an additional
fiscal burden as well as a hindrance to the overall learning
environment. (Martin)
▫ One study found that dual language programs represent an
additional expense of $290 to $879 per pupil depending on the
size of the class. (Martin)
• Because these children of illegal immigrants most often come
from families living in poverty, there is a major expenditure
for them on supplemental feeding programs in the schools.
(Martin)
Healthcare Burden
“Six-in-ten Hispanic
adults living in the
United States who are
not citizens or legal
permanent residents
lack health insurance.
The share of uninsured
among this group
(60%) is much higher
than the share of
uninsured among
Latino adults who are
legal permanent
residents or citizens
(28%), or among the
adult population of the
United States (17%)”
(Pew Hispanic Center)
Healthcare Continued
• “Data on health care costs for illegal immigrants are
sketchy because hospitals and community health centers
don't ask about patients' legal status. In California, a 2004
study by the Federation for American Immigration
Reform put the state's annual cost at $1.4 billion”
(Richard Wolf).
• “In Texas, where the state comptroller estimates illegal
immigrants cost hospitals $1.3 billion in 2006, the
University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston is
considering denying cancer care to such immigrants”
(Richard Wolf).
Healthcare Continued
• “One of the frequent costs to U.S. taxpayers is delivery of
babies to illegal alien mothers. A California study put the
number of these anchor baby deliveries in the state in
1994 at 74,987, at a cost of $215 million. At that time,
those births constituted 36 percent of all Medi-Cal
births, and they have grown now to substantially more
than half or the annual Medi-Cal budget. In 2003, 70
percent of the 2,300 babies born in San Joaquin General
Hospital’s maternity ward were anchor babies. Medical
in 2003 had 760,000 illegal alien beneficiaries, up from
2002, when there were 470,000” (American Federation
for Immigration Reform).
How Much Crime Are They Committing?
• In 2005 the GAO conducted a study of 55,322
(about 21% of the population) incarcerated illegal
aliens. This is what they found:
▫ 459,614 Total Arrests (about 8 each)
▫ About 700,000 criminal offenses (about 13 each)
▫ 49% had a previous felony, 20% had drug charges,
18% had committed a violent crime
• In Los Angeles alone, 95% of some 1,500
outstanding warrants for homicides are for illegal
aliens. About 67% of the 17,000 outstanding fugitive
felony warrants are for illegal aliens. (Wagner:
Crime)
Crime Continued
• As of 2003, there were approximately 267,000
incarcerated illegal aliens. They are imprisoned
as follows:
• 46,000 in Federal Prisons
• 74,000 in State Prisons
• 147,000 in Local Jails
• This equates to slightly more than 25% of the
imprisoned population
The Cost of Crime
• In 2004, the U.S. Government paid approximately $1.4
Billion to incarcerate illegal aliens.
• Costs are continuing to rise as well, with 15% increases in
the cost year over year.
• States are also getting less reimbursement from the U.S.
Government, increasing the costs to the states with
larger immigration problems.
• All those incarcerated, are paid for by taxpayers.
• The overall financial impact of illegal alien crimes is
estimated at between $14.4 and $81 billion or more per
year. Factor in the crime as a result of the cocaine ($72
billion) and other drugs being smuggled in and the
number may reach $150 billion per year. (Wagner:
Crime)
The Effect on
the Jobs Market
• In some cases the influx of
immigrants has allowed
native-born workers to move
up the ladder. In too many
other instances, mass
immigration has moved
American workers off the
ladder entirely. (Wagner:
Jobs)
• It is grossly hypocritical to
want to raise the minimum
wage on one hand while the
other hand winks at illegal
aliens working at far below
prevailing wages. (Wagner:
Jobs)
Morality Issue
• In the end, we are capitalizing on the cheap
labor of illegal immigrants by paying them less
than citizens because it costs us less.
• However, if we allow them to stay illegally
because of their supposed economic benefits,
where do you draw the line between which
crimes we close our eyes to and what we
condemn?
• Regardless if they are following the laws now
and paying taxes, they are here illegally.
Works Cited
• "Hispanics, Health Insurance and Health Care Access." Pew Hispanic Center. 25
Sept. 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2010.
<pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=113>.
• "Illegal Immigration and Public Health." The Federation for American Immigration
Reform (FAIR):. Web. 26 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters64
bf>.
• Martin, Jack. Breaking the Piggy Bank: How Illegal Immigration is Sending
Schools Into the Red. USA: Fair Horizon Press, 2005. 1-2. Web. 26 Apr. 2010.
<www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/piggybank05.pdf?docID=2301>.
• Wagner, P.F. "Impacts of Illegal Immigration: Crime Summary." The Dark Side of
Illegal Immigration: Facts, Figures and Statistics on Illegal Immigration. Ed. Dan
Amato, 4/25/2010. 25 Apr 2010.
<www.usillegalaliens.com/impacts_of_illegal_immigration_crime_summary.html>.
• Wagner, P F. "Impacts of Illegal Immigration: Jobs." The Dark Side of Illegal
Immigration: Facts Figures and Statistics on Illegal Immigration . Ed. Dan Amato.
20 Apr. 2010. <www.usillegalaliens.com>.
• Wolf, Richard. "Rising Health Care Costs Put Focus on Illegal Immigrants USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S.
& World - USATODAY.com. USA Today, 22 Jan. 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2010.
<www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-01-21-immigrant-healthcare_N.htm>.