Posted on 03/27/2006 7:07:14 PM PST by Carl/NewsMax
One of the more popular claims by illegal immigration proponents is that those who enter the U.S. by breaking the law are invariably "hard-working" and "law-abiding" once they get here.
That argument, however, has one major flaw. According to Justice Department statistics and the analysis of immigration experts, the "law-abiding" claim often isn't true.
As Investors Business Daily reported in March 2005:
"The U.S. Justice Department estimated that 270,000 illegal immigrants served jail time nationally in 2003. Of those, 108,000 were in California. Some estimates show illegals now make up half of California's prison population, creating a massive criminal subculture that strains state budgets and creates a nightmare for local police forces."
Citing an Urban Institute study, director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies Steven Camorata noted in 2004: "Roughly 17 percent of the prison population at the federal level are illegal aliens. That's a huge number since illegal aliens only account for about 3 percent of the total population."
Former California Gov. Pete Wilson places the percentage of illegal aliens in U.S. prisons even higher. In 2001, he told Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly:
"We had problems related to the costs of educating children who were acknowledged to be in the country illegally, healthcare costs. One in five in our prison population were illegal immigrants who had been convicted of a felony after entering the country illegally."
The Federation for American Immigration Reform also turned to the Justice Department to get statistics on criminal aliens. They report:
"In March 2000, Congress made public Department of Justice statistics showing that, over the previous five years, the INS had released over 35,000 criminal aliens instead of deporting them. Over 11,000 of those released went on to commit serious crimes, over 1,800 of which were violent ones [including 98 homicides, 142 sexual assaults, and 44 kidnappings].
"In 2001, thanks to a decision by the Supreme Court, the INS was forced to release into our society over 3,000 criminal aliens [who collectively had been convicted of 125 homicides, 387 sex offenses, and 772 assault charges]."
Up to a third of the U.S. federal prison population is composed of non-citizens, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons statistics - but not all non-citizen prison inmates are illegal aliens.
As to the "hard-working" claim, CIS notes: "The proportion of immigrant-headed households using at least one major welfare program is 24.5 percent compared to 16.3 percent for native households."
Investor's Business Daily concurs: "Once [illegals] get here, they are 50 percent more likely to be on welfare than citizens."
You know, Mexico is not working with us one little bit. Why should we work with them??? We should just empty our prisons into Mexico.
We should at least take their oil - as past payment for all of the health care, education and incarceration we are providing their citizens.
Ping
How do illegal aliens qualify for welfare?
I live about two hours from the border on the direct route to larger cities. Truckloads of illegals are chased down frequently by the police and when stopped they jump out and run into the fields and brush.
Our city has more robberies because of Mexican gangs, our schools suffer the consequences of having many dropouts and our emergency rooms are full of possible illegals who go there for the slightest reason.
These external costs represent a massive transfer of wealth from consumers to corporations, via the federal and state governments. Only after all costs (information) are properly stated can folks make rational decisions (via pricing). I for one would rather pay an extra $0.10 per nectarine at the grocery store than suffer the cost of treating lifetime health care costs and other costs (enter your favorite third world disease). We are in a mess, because BOTH parties, Democrat AND Republican, have sole us out for profits. I hate to sound like a drooling lefties, but there it is.
Keep telling George bush. With a stroke of his pen he can stop this invasion.
I know - they are more concerned with not alienating [lol] the Mexicans so they can win elections.
"The U.S. Justice Department estimated that 270,000 illegal immigrants served jail time nationally in 2003. Of those, 108,000 were in California. Some estimates show illegals now make up half of California's prison population, creating a massive criminal subculture that strains state budgets and creates a nightmare for local police forces."
As mentioned by Phildragoo, who pays for it...the American taxpayer! The criminal element is ID'd as MS-13, who's reported to have ties with al Queda! Nice going Senate RINO's.
I haven't heard a peep out of any Californias politician. Will we ned to invade CA and establih martial law to enforce any new laws passed?
"Our economy can't survive without them being on welfare apparently."
Hey, they're just taking the welfare checks Americans won't.
Most politicians from California are democrats. Illegal aliens voting for them there is their base. That's how they've been winning elections. The only reason Arnold won, he was famous, and among other things, former democrat Gov. Grey Davis gave away over twenty billion in state surplus funds. Money that is still unaccounted for.
Just to add a Smartass note to your note. The illegal alien population in the U.S. is under reported. More like about 30 million. Many with false driver license, and SS cards. by your post, I take it you support illegal aliens invading America and the problems they've brought? Your title is ER Doc, do you think illegals should be tested for TB?
He's a new signup - wait and see!
Their kids are born here so now they are tied to the US because their kids are now citizens...even though they are illegal.
The history of Ellis island show, that millions upon millions of Europeans came through that portal. All were tested for various contagious diseases, mainly for TB. Those that failed, were refused entry, and put on the next ship back. Other than MS-13 gangs, we haven't a clue what other diseases have crashed our Southern borders.
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