Senate amnesty could cost over $2.5 trillion dollars

Posted Sat, May 19, 2007 at 8:42 am
The Senate's illegal immigration amnesty bill could end up costing the U.S. over $2.5 trillion dollars. Trillion, with a "t".

From May 17 testimony by the Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector before the House Judiciary Committee (PDF file):
In FY 2004, the average low skill immigrant household received $30,160 in direct benefits, means-tested benefits, education, and population-based services from all levels of government. By contrast, low-skill immigrant households paid only $10,573 in taxes in FY 2004. A household’s net fiscal deficit equals the cost of benefits and services received minus taxes paid. The average low-skill household had a fiscal deficit of $19,588 (expenditures of $30,160 minus $10,573 in taxes).

At the state and local level, the average low skill immigrant household received $14,145 in benefits and services and paid only $5,309 in taxes. The average low skill immigrant households imposed a net fiscal burden on state and local government of $8,836 per year.

The fiscal burden imposed by low skill immigrant households is slightly greater at the state and local level than at the federal level. The annual fiscal deficit for all 4.54 million low skill immigrant households at the state and local level in 2004 was $49.1 billion. Over the next ten years the state and local fiscal deficit caused by low skill immigrants on state and local governments will approach a half trillion dollars.

Current federal immigration policy permits a massive inflow of both legal and illegal low skill immigrants to enter and reside in the U.S. This imposes a massive unfunded mandate on state and local government which much bear the costs of that immigration flow.

Giving amnesty to illegal immigrants would increase the costs outlined in this testimony. Some 50 to 60 percent of illegal immigrants lack a high school degree. Granting amnesty or conditional amnesty to illegal immigrants would, overtime, increase their use of means-tested welfare, Social Security and Medicare. Fiscal costs would go up significantly in the short term but would go up dramatically after the amnesty recipientreached retirement. Based on my current research, I estimate that if all the current adult illegal immigrants in the U.S. were granted amnesty the net retirement costs to government (benefits minus taxes) could be over $2.5 trillion.

Recent proposed immigration legislation in the Senate and House will raise costs on the taxpayers at all levels of government. By granting amnesty to illegal immigrants (who are overwhelmingly low skilled) and creating massive new "guest worker" programs which would bring millions of additional low skill families into the nation, such legislation, if enacted, would impose massive costs on the U.S. taxpayer...

Comments

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Sat, 05/19/2007 - 18:54

The Pig Bush rat just did an act of war on the people of this nation now he will do more evil to you within 5 years this non nation will be in the hands of the third world ruler, i shit on Bush that pig, I also think that he was behind 9-11. May people who hate evil fight like Gods against this drug dealer non nation of total corruption. the people mean nothing to this government of evil doers. I shit on the third worlds flags, and its monkeys.

expat (not verified)

Sat, 05/19/2007 - 19:03

Santa Ana, CA leads the nation in mail carrier dog bites with 96. All of NYC had zero dog bites. http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=6525435

mary (not verified)

Sat, 05/19/2007 - 19:04

Bush has betrayed the Republicans who voted for him. He has betrayed this Nation. He will pay a high price for this....I envision The French revolution American style. The EVILDOERS are in the SENATE and The White House.

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Sat, 05/19/2007 - 19:25

The Pig Bush did did 9-11 and he needs a Army of millions to do in the last AMERICAN THAT WOULD STAND UP TO EVIL. Bsuh is Bin Laden, Bush is total evil may that pig and his evil boss's go to hell in a new American fight for freedom from the Rats. Buy Guns make Cells of freedom the mexican and world gangs will move in by the millions and be used on you. understand when you see a cop/political person from government of all kinds think comrade of bin laden and Bush. million's of our enemies are now having a party on you, This Nation is dead. What will happen next? "God only know's". The One World rats are joyful as hell. The evil plan is now fully set by the third would rulers, one fact is mexico city is so happy over one million people are now in the streets calling out LONG LIVE MEXICO, And we know what will happen down this evil road to come if people do nothing but talk. See you guy's on the path.

eh (not verified)

Sun, 05/20/2007 - 03:29

That price tag is peanuts compared to value politicians perceive in being politically correct -- ask Lindsey Graham. Or Don Imus -- ask him what it can cost to offend against racially sensitive political correctness.

D Flinchum (not verified)

Sun, 05/20/2007 - 11:23

BTW they are apparently dropping the requirement that the illegal aliens pay back taxes as being to difficult to enforce. Think they'll also drop allowing them to claim Social Security payments that they paid while working illegally???

eh (not verified)

Sun, 05/20/2007 - 18:48

_...difficult to enforce._ Impossible, really. An open invitation to game playing and fraud. It'd be like going to confession when you're a kid (when you just made up a plausible sounding list of sins -- I did anyway). It's just one of the contrived penalty provisions they decided to throw in so they can claim it isn't amnesty. Children.

petty bourgeois (not verified)

Mon, 05/21/2007 - 01:18

Santa Ana (my domicile) also has twice the population density of manhattan.

The Other Mary (not verified)

Mon, 05/21/2007 - 03:49

If the amnesty passes, I will join a tax revolt. I will NOT pay my share of the $2.5 trillion. They can't put 10 million of us in jail for not paying our taxes. They think Pedro is a better American than I am, then they should ask Pedro for the $40,000 per year that my husband and I pay in state and federal taxes each year.

jeebie (not verified)

Mon, 05/21/2007 - 05:31

Why would anyone WANT the responsibility of citizenship, or to come out of the shadows, when it is so much more convenient and profitable to stay put? They will have their cake and eat it too. No responsibilities for taxes. No worries about law enforcement (special orders and sanctuary cities). Free...(make your own list) of services and benefits LEGAL citizens are not entitled to. WHY BOTHER with any part of the amnesty that is offered? Fines, touchbacks, waiting periods, who cares? There was no respect for our laws before, amnesty won't change a thing in a malignant personality. With traitors in Washington, unenforced laws and borders, the whole nation will be theirs, just by waiting, doing nothing, except for making more anchor babies, while laughing at the stupid Americans who do nothing while being conquered and colonized.

eh (not verified)

Mon, 05/21/2007 - 16:02

_Why would anyone WANT the responsibility of citizenship,..._ If some version of this mess passes, it will be interesting to see how many go for it, and how quickly. Beforehand you will probably see heavy pressure to either reduce or remove the financial penalty provisions.