Study: Illegal Migrants Cost $10 Billion a Year - GoFuckYourself.com

Rictor · 08-26-2004, 04:34 PM

Study: Illegal Migrants Cost $10 Billion a Year

Analysis by think tank also concludes that a program to legalize the undocumented would nearly triple that figure.

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
Times Staff Writer

August 25, 2004, 7:57 AM PDT

WASHINGTON -- Illegal immigrants cost the federal government more than $10 billion a year, and a program to legalize the undocumented would nearly triple that figure, a study released today concludes.

The analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies, which opposes efforts to legalize an estimated 8 million to 12 million migrants, comes as Republicans are bracing for a fight over immigration at their convention next week in New York.

Some Republican conservatives are pushing for language in the party platform that strongly opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants. But business-oriented Republicans want to significantly loosen immigration restrictions.

In the middle is President Bush, who has proposed a massive guest worker program granting temporary legal status to the undocumented, of whom a majority are Mexicans.

"The fundamental problem is that the modern American economy is based on skills, and that makes it very difficult to bring unskilled workers in and not sock taxpayers with a huge cost," said political scientist Steven A. Camarota, the study's author.

"The fiscal impact of a legalization program needs to be an important consideration," he added.

Other immigration researchers challenged some of the study's assumptions about what illegal immigrants cost the government.

Based on Census data, the report compared households headed by undocumented immigrants with those headed by citizens and legal residents. Federal benefits for U.S.-born children of the undocumented were counted as a cost of illegal migration.

The study included some findings that run counter to stereotypes. For example, it concluded that illegal immigrants do not constitute a significant drain on welfare programs, receiving much less in social services than do citizens and legal residents.

However, it found that the undocumented also pay nearly 75% less per household in federal taxes, on average. Some work off the books, but the majority who pay taxes are low-wage workers with little income tax liability.

"The primary reason they create a fiscal deficit is their low education levels and resulting low incomes and tax payments, not their?heavy use of most social services," the study said. "The vast majority of illegals hold jobs. Thus, the fiscal deficit they create for the federal government is not the result of an unwillingness to work."

The study found that federal programs for the elderly clearly benefit from illegal immigration.

Social Security and Medicare reap a $7 billion annual windfall from payroll taxes paid by undocumented workers. That accounts for about 4% of the total annual surplus in the two programs. But the balance sheet may eventually shift in the other direction. Under a recent agreement, Mexican retirees will be able to claim credit for Social Security taxes paid while working in the United States.

Legalizing the undocumented would bring them out of the underground economy and increase the amount they pay into Treasury coffers. But it could well make them eligible for more government benefits.

The study estimated that paying for added benefits would swamp any increase in tax collections, increasing the net cost to the federal government to $29 billion a year.

However, a leading immigration researcher challenged the fine print behind the report's assumptions.

Jeffrey Passel, a demographer at the Urban Institute think tank, said a significant share of the costs attributed to illegal immigrants represent general expenses on domestic programs. The government would incur these costs for such things as building roads and paying bureaucrats' salaries with or without the presence of undocumented workers.

"Most of that money is not money that would be saved if you could magically make these people disappear," said Passel.

pornstar2pac · 08-26-2004, 04:34 PM

so what to you plan to do about it rictor?

BRISK · 08-26-2004, 04:35 PM

Yes, but they have tacos.

Mmmm.....tacos

Screaming · 08-26-2004, 04:36 PM

yeah sad isnt we have homeless people on the street and starving children and we spend billions on people that are illegally crossing the boarders and such then getting on welfare and other government fundings, sad really

Doctor Dre · 08-26-2004, 05:21 PM

Yea but how much are they worth to marcheants ? paying 3 $ an hour for employes helps the economy a little :P

Goatse · 08-26-2004, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pornstar2pac
so what to you plan to do about it rictor?

Call immigration whenever I spot an illegal.

Nanda · 08-26-2004, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Screaming
yeah sad isnt we have homeless people on the street and starving children and we spend billions on people that are illegally crossing the boarders and such then getting on welfare and other government fundings, sad really

True..

Steen2 · 08-26-2004, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Screaming
yeah sad isnt we have homeless people on the street and starving children and we spend billions on people that are illegally crossing the boarders and such then getting on welfare and other government fundings, sad really

There will always be worse off.

How about Sudan? Doesn't compare.

exposed · 08-26-2004, 09:58 PM

EpicLisa · 08-26-2004, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Screaming
yeah sad isnt we have homeless people on the street and starving children and we spend billions on people that are illegally crossing the boarders and such then getting on welfare and other government fundings, sad really

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't LEGAL immigrants exempt from paying taxes for 7 years?

Love Brokers · 08-26-2004, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Doctor Dre
Yea but how much are they worth to marcheants ? paying 3 $ an hour for employes helps the economy a little :P

Ahhhhhhh.....whats a "marcheants?"

wtfent · 08-26-2004, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pornstar2pac
so what to you plan to do about it rictor?

Paul Markham · 08-26-2004, 10:46 PM

Just returned from the US and was amazed at the number of people with a poor command of English. Waiters, shop assistants, etc. who could hardly speak the language or I could hardly understand. Even in Dulles airport they had them.

Seems either the goverment in importing cheap labour to keep down wages or there is no unemployment problem in the US.

08-26-2004, 04:34 PM	#1
Rictor Old Timer Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 12,208	Study: Illegal Migrants Cost $10 Billion a Year Study: Illegal Migrants Cost $10 Billion a Year Analysis by think tank also concludes that a program to legalize the undocumented would nearly triple that figure. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar Times Staff Writer August 25, 2004, 7:57 AM PDT WASHINGTON -- Illegal immigrants cost the federal government more than $10 billion a year, and a program to legalize the undocumented would nearly triple that figure, a study released today concludes. The analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies, which opposes efforts to legalize an estimated 8 million to 12 million migrants, comes as Republicans are bracing for a fight over immigration at their convention next week in New York. Some Republican conservatives are pushing for language in the party platform that strongly opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants. But business-oriented Republicans want to significantly loosen immigration restrictions. In the middle is President Bush, who has proposed a massive guest worker program granting temporary legal status to the undocumented, of whom a majority are Mexicans. "The fundamental problem is that the modern American economy is based on skills, and that makes it very difficult to bring unskilled workers in and not sock taxpayers with a huge cost," said political scientist Steven A. Camarota, the study's author. "The fiscal impact of a legalization program needs to be an important consideration," he added. Other immigration researchers challenged some of the study's assumptions about what illegal immigrants cost the government. Based on Census data, the report compared households headed by undocumented immigrants with those headed by citizens and legal residents. Federal benefits for U.S.-born children of the undocumented were counted as a cost of illegal migration. The study included some findings that run counter to stereotypes. For example, it concluded that illegal immigrants do not constitute a significant drain on welfare programs, receiving much less in social services than do citizens and legal residents. However, it found that the undocumented also pay nearly 75% less per household in federal taxes, on average. Some work off the books, but the majority who pay taxes are low-wage workers with little income tax liability. "The primary reason they create a fiscal deficit is their low education levels and resulting low incomes and tax payments, not their?heavy use of most social services," the study said. "The vast majority of illegals hold jobs. Thus, the fiscal deficit they create for the federal government is not the result of an unwillingness to work." The study found that federal programs for the elderly clearly benefit from illegal immigration. Social Security and Medicare reap a $7 billion annual windfall from payroll taxes paid by undocumented workers. That accounts for about 4% of the total annual surplus in the two programs. But the balance sheet may eventually shift in the other direction. Under a recent agreement, Mexican retirees will be able to claim credit for Social Security taxes paid while working in the United States. Legalizing the undocumented would bring them out of the underground economy and increase the amount they pay into Treasury coffers. But it could well make them eligible for more government benefits. The study estimated that paying for added benefits would swamp any increase in tax collections, increasing the net cost to the federal government to $29 billion a year. However, a leading immigration researcher challenged the fine print behind the report's assumptions. Jeffrey Passel, a demographer at the Urban Institute think tank, said a significant share of the costs attributed to illegal immigrants represent general expenses on domestic programs. The government would incur these costs for such things as building roads and paying bureaucrats' salaries with or without the presence of undocumented workers. "Most of that money is not money that would be saved if you could magically make these people disappear," said Passel.

08-26-2004, 04:34 PM	#2
pornstar2pac Omaha Hi/Lo Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 17,380	so what to you plan to do about it rictor? __________________ Trump haters gonna hate. that's all they can do

08-26-2004, 04:35 PM	#3
BRISK Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 12,240	Yes, but they have tacos. Mmmm.....tacos __________________ I post on GFY so that when people ask me what I do, I can tell them that I work with the mentally retarded.

08-26-2004, 04:36 PM	#4
Screaming I can change this!!!!! Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 18,972	yeah sad isnt we have homeless people on the street and starving children and we spend billions on people that are illegally crossing the boarders and such then getting on welfare and other government fundings, sad really __________________

08-26-2004, 09:58 PM	#9
exposed Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: unknown Posts: 1,449	__________________ "I felt victimized by the Ian Eisenbergs of the world" - Mary Burger

08-26-2004, 10:46 PM	#13
Paul Markham Too old to care Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: On the sofa, watching TV or doing my jigsaws. Posts: 52,943	Just returned from the US and was amazed at the number of people with a poor command of English. Waiters, shop assistants, etc. who could hardly speak the language or I could hardly understand. Even in Dulles airport they had them. Seems either the goverment in importing cheap labour to keep down wages or there is no unemployment problem in the US. __________________ Blowout deal. 880 videos, 2,400 image sets, plus many RAW videos. $500. PM me for a deal. Skype Paulmarkham70