User Comments

hicham on May 05, 2009 at 14:07:01 said:

repuplican said that they will stand against any immigration reform .why because the immigrants take the jobs from the american, that funny .
70 percent of american the dont want work they prefer to stay all the night playing game or using drugs or any other illigal things.And even if they get hired by any company they get fired at the first month ,why because they are lasy cheating at work ,so most of the company by experience have found that the immigrant work hard that they came to america to work.so if you repuplican trully love this contry please dont stand against those immigrant they are here to give the best they can for this contry.so please dont stand against them ,put your self in their place.

elias on May 04, 2009 at 11:51:15 said:

i can't understand immigration office when it comes to mariage with us spouse.thousand of mixt mariage ssucced,but when the mariage dosn't work some reasons or divorse happen before obtaning permment resedent the immigration stopes our prossecc , making us feel like we are an object if it works for these women its ok ,they have the right to throw us away.
we came to us legally with our visa and green card ,payiing our taxes working hard, wanting to be part of this contry. accepting spouses abuse and .....i hope you immigration office put yourself in our selves ,so you can understand our situation.

MaryJ on Apr 25, 2009 at 14:41:21 said:

LaSilva wrote: ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR WAS TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
-------------
LaSilva, we native-born Californians have had taxation without representation since 1994, when we lawfully voted by a large majority to cease funding for "free" taxpayer-funded programs for illegal immigrants. Our democratic will was overturned by a conspiracy of non-elected officials and organizations such as the ACLU, in collaboration with the Mexican government. Do you think we native-born Americans enjoy being forced to fund "freebies" for your illegal tresspassing "raza"? Get a clue -- if anyone is going to start another American Revolution, it will be those of us who are actually descended from the soldiers who fought in the first one, i.e. Anglo-Americans. We are sick of being "treaded on" by arrogant foreigners from a corrupt, drug-gang controlled, Third World cesspool.

Funny on Apr 23, 2009 at 16:14:24 said:

Ignorance is Bliss: Those who have NO CLUE or QUALIFICATIONS about Immigration are those who show their IGNORANCE :)


There is NO SUCH WORD AS 'ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT" in Blacks Law Dictionary, or In Merriam Websters Dictionary. Get Educated .


"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday that the claim by some conservative activists that illegal immigration is to blame for all of the state's fiscal problems is ignorant and bigoted."


In the 20-plus years I have spent studying, lecturing and litigating immigration issues, two things have always amazed me. The first is the amount and intensity of hate spewed against undocumented workers. The second is the amount of misinformation that is published about them.

On this second point, the quote from Mark Twain is illustrative. "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." I suppose this may be true in part because misinformation, like a lie, requires no accuracy, validation or research; all of which are time-consuming practices.

The recent letters alleging that all undocumented workers are "criminals," and specifically Veronica Suarez, whose plight was written about in the Tracy Press recently, is a criminal are factually incorrect.

According to the facts (as stated in Sharon Franceschi’s Sept. 7 commentary) Saurez entered the U.S. on a valid visa, overstayed her visa when it expired, resulting in her unlawful immigration status. None of these acts, as stated by Franceschi, constitute a crime under federal or state law. Overstaying a valid visa under the Immigration and Naturalization Act is a civil violation of the law, not a criminal violation. Being in the U.S. in under undocumented status is not a criminal violation, but a civil violation of the INA.

The facts, as stated by Franceschi, do not indicate that Suarez has committed any crime. To call her a criminal is erroneous at best, and libelous at worst.

Furthermore, it is an Americanism that a person is innocent until proven guilty. So until Suarez (or any other undocumented person) is charged and found guilty of a crime, it would be inappropriate to call them "criminals."

It is important to note that there is a very large difference between civil and criminal violations of law. The distinction is so important that the law makes the erroneous allegation that one has committed a crime of slander or libel, (which means liability is automatic even without proof of damages). One who violates the civil law is no more a criminal than someone who has breached a contract or accidentally damaged another’s property.

It is true that entering the United States without inspection is a misdemeanor under the INA. The misdemeanor is completed once an individual’s entry is complete. Suarez, according to Franceschi, did not enter without inspection; she entered with a valid visa. According to U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services statistics, about 40 percent of undocumented persons enter legally and overstay their visas (which, as stated above, is not a crime). Consequently, at least 40 percent of the undocumented population has committed no crime in regards to their immigration status.

Therefore, one cannot assume that a person has committed a crime simply because they are undocumented.

Franceschi is also in error in her allegation that getting married and having children while being undocumented in the U.S. is a violation of the law. It is not. Franceschi goes on to say that Suarez "apparently bought a house illegally." It is unlikely that Franceschi knows exactly how Suarez purchased her home. Consequently, any allegation of illegality is, at a minimum, irresponsible.

It is also important to note that the Immigration and Citizenship Services doesn’t consider all undocumented persons criminals. When the Immigration and Citizenship Services publishes information about its enforcement activities involving undocumented workers, it are always sure to make a distinction between "criminal" and noncriminal aliens.

Another myth is that the term "illegal aliens" is a term of art or is legal jargon. This term is not found anywhere in the INA or in Blacks Law Dictionary. The INA refers to undocumented persons as either an EWI (entered without inspection) or as someone who has overstayed their visa. "Illegal aliens" is a term invented by anti-immigrant groups designed to put undocumented persons in the worst possible light and to instill fear in Americans. It is intentionally designed to associate undocumented persons with criminality.

This xenophobic view that undocumented persons are "simply criminals" comes from the historical stereotype that the foreign-born, especially undocumented immigrants, are responsible for higher crime rates. This misconception has deep roots in American public opinion and popular myth. This myth, however, is not supported empirically and has repeatedly been refuted by scientific studies. Both contemporary and historical data, (including U.S. governmental studies) have shown that immigration is associated with lower crime rates.

The studies have uniformly shown that recent immigrants (including the undocumented) are less likely to be involved in violent crime, and that when there is an increase in immigration patterns, violent crime decreases. This has been shown to be true in large cities with heavy immigrant populations.

In the most recent of these studies, The Myth of Immigrant Criminality and the Paradox of Assimilation (2007), from the Immigrant Policy Institute, it was found that among men age 18 to 39 (who are the vast majority of inmates in federal and state prisons and local jails), immigrants were five times less likely to be incarcerated than the native-born in 2000.

During the Proposition 187 debate, then-Gov. Pete Wilson published statistics that stated that
12 percent to 15 percent of the state prison population had Immigration and Citizenship Services holds or potential holds. The Department of Corrections analyst who compiled these numbers said Immigration and Citizenship Services holds are placed on inmates who were born outside of the U.S. (therefore 12 percent to 15 percent of the prison population was immigrants). The immigrant population at the time in California hovered at about 25 percent, showing immigrants were much less likely to be incarcerated than the native born in California.

In short, the data shows you are much safer if your neighbor is an immigrant.

Franceschi owes Suarez an apology. I am also surprised that the Tracy Press allowed a commentary to run without checking the facts. Although commentaries are designed to allow for the expression of differing opinions, the First Amendment is not as generous with misstatements of facts — especially when the facts can be libelous.

For the immigration debate to be a healthy one, we should strive for a debate based on facts, not myth or tired stereotypes. We should also not let our position on this topic strip us of one of the great qualities we possess as people — the ability to be compassionate.

Arturo E. Ocampo of Tracy has been a practicing attorney since 1985, with an expertise in immigration rights and class action lawsuits on behalf of immigrants, including the way the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was implemented, Border Patrol’s raids and Proposition 187. He is director of diversity and equal employment opportunity for the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District.

Ransome on Apr 22, 2009 at 12:53:06 said:

"Even immigrant advocates focused now on mobilizing for reform acknowledge their battle will ultimately need to go beyond a Washington D.C.-legislated fix. The backlash against immigrants has sprung up in neighborhoods and far-flung localities, and also needs to be combated at the grassroots."

"This isn't going to be over when comprehensive immigration reform is passed," said Tony Stephens, communications associate with the New York-based nonprofit The Opportunity Agenda, during an online meeting last week with immigration reform advocates.”

It is not my intent to be inflammatory and by no stretch of the imagination do I advocate violence. In fact, I stopped posting anti-immigration comments because of the disturbing historical parallels. For example, the Tea parties could be the beginning of demonstrations by citizens. In Germany, the communists and Nazis used to have their rallies and then fight in the streets. We are one step from a depression and if that happens all hell can break loose, even in the streets.

The point of the post is that the politicians need to understand the gravity of the situation, recognize that this is more than just a political issue, and the solution requires careful thought and consideration of the short and the long range implications. The previous amnesty was done in an ad-hoc manner and look at us now. There is a need for open forum where people of various perspectives including the Mexican government can get an opportunity to provide their input. From there we could make strategic, tactical, and operational plans that would really represent comprehensive immigration reform and a Win-Win situation.

Ransome on Apr 22, 2009 at 08:57:08 said:

Niall Ferguson wrote in his book, “the War of the World” that much of the extreme violence of the 20th century was caused by ethnic conflict, the discontinuation of social relationships between ethnic groups, economic volatility, and a loss of power. The works of Richard Evans and others verify that statement. Richard J Evans wrote “The Coming of the Third Reich, “The Third Reich at War and “The Third Reich in Power”.

Few realize, the role illegal immigration played in WW2. For example, the migration of the unassimilated Eastern Jews from Tsarist Russia to Germany added fuel to the German anti-Semitism that brought about the Holocaust. Even the thoroughly assimilated German Jews were biased against the new illegal immigrants. A reported stated that “A good many German Jews wishfully believed that Hitler's venom was reserved for the Eastern Jews who had begun flooding into Germany after World War I”. However, because, some Jews were highly involved in communism, Hitler was able to associate all Jews with the communists who tried to takeover the country.

German anti-Semitism resulted in the massive migration of Jewish illegal immigrants to Palestine before, during, and after WW2. This created another problem. The Palestinians know all to well the pitfalls of massive illegal immigration. So do the Irish Catholics, the immigration of Scottish and English settlers to Catholic Northern Ireland started in 1607 and has only been recently resolved, after almost 400 hundred years.

From a sociobiology perspective, massive illegal immigration is least of all a human issue; it is a territorial issue deeply rooted in the territorial imperative and millions of years of animal evolution. In other words, it brings out the beast in us. The defense of territory is primeval and extends from the small creature protecting its burrow, a family protecting their home, to a large country protecting its borders. Particularly in times of economic stress, living things will fight to protect the territory that is necessary for their survival. Encroachment, no matter the justifications, excuses, or reasons is a violation of territory. The territorial imperative is to accept it, repel it, or attack its source.

In ways that 20th century tell us, hostility towards a group overrides concepts of humanity and to a degree explains the savagery of the Holocaust, Bosnia, Darfur, Rwanda and others. There was a blood thirsty rage that consumed Eastern and Central Europe, the areas of the most balkanization. The creation of a multiple language, multiple culture country where ethnic groups are engaged in economic competition can create a tinderbox that can easily explode. The apologist wants us to believe, this is just another wave of immigration. However, they neglect the darker side of massive immigration, like the Jews to Palestine, the Scottish and English to Ireland, and the Boers and English to South Africa.

My point is that people are ignoring history and the potential of ethnic conflict created by cultural balkanization, economic volatility, and the illegal immigrant’s quest for empowerment. That is why the DHS released the report about the increase right wing activities. That a soldier can go to war, put his or her life on the line, and come home and find that jobs are taken by illegal immigrants are surely something that rightwing groups will take advantage of. How do you explain it? In the quest for votes, Obama and the Democrats could go down in history as the one could balkanized this country and cause its downfall.

Ransome on Apr 22, 2009 at 06:11:57 said:

Those who mistakenly believe that they should be given equal representation with native born Americans is deluded. As native born Americans, we have a moral, legal, and yes, patriotic obligation is to fight and die for this country. In times of war, Americans are called upon to, if necessary, make the supreme sacrifice, to defend our territory. And that is what set us apart. Illegals do not have that moral, patriotic, and legal obligation. They can conveniently skip back across the border or leave on the next international flight. So, don’t expect equal rights with other Americans. If they will not standup for their rights in their own country, what make you think they will fight for this country?

LASilva on Apr 21, 2009 at 20:56:14 said:

It’s inhumane that many undocumented immigrants are paying their taxes and contributing financially to the support of the government but their voices are not being heard. They are paying taxes just like every American but they are not treated like every American. TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION was a reason why the American revolutionary war took place. The IRS is providing PINS for those people who are here undocumented so that they can pay taxes but they are not being represented in the U.S. government. TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. The United States is doing what England was doing to the Colonies prior to the American Revolution. England was taxing the colonists but they had no representation in the English parliament. This situation did not fare well with most of the colonists. So why are undocumented immigrants paying taxes? Why are they contributing to the governments? Yes they are living in America and yes they should continue to pay their taxes. But why are they such a burden for some people and why aren’t they being represented in the United States Congress. If they are paying taxes it is a crime of the government to ignore their voices. Congressmen look after their constituents who voted them to office but undocumented immigrants cannot vote and their interests are not considered even though they are paying taxes. ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR WAS TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. LATINOS WILL BECOME OF THE LARGEST MINORITIES WITHIN THE NEXT DECADES AND THEIR POLITICAL POWER WILL BE RESPECTECTED IN PARTICULAR BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

During the middle of the night when families are peacefully sleeping ICE comes and without regard for children or the well being of those children arrests the mother and or father and takes them to detention facilities. I always believed that those things only used to happen in my country when in the middle of the night death squads would come and take people away and never see them again. When these people are arrested they are treated worst than people who have committed murders. Their hands are handcuffed and their feet shackled. Yes it’s true a law has been broken when these individual come in the country without documents but the crime should fit the punishment. What ICE is doing is inhumane in particular when children are being separated from their parents. ONLY NATIVEAMERICANS A TRUE AMERICANS EVERYBODY ELSE IS AN IMMIGRANTS.

I would strongly suggest those people who speak out of ignorance to do their research. Please if you criticize Latinos make sure you have your facts correct.

LASilva on Apr 21, 2009 at 20:36:14 said:

Undocumented immigrants are major contributors to the general support of the United States government. They are paying their taxes with an individual taxpayer identification number provided by the IRS. Even though, they are contributing by paying their taxes they are the target of a cruel and unjust system operated by the United States immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. This agency, financed partly, by the same dollars paid by undocumented immigrants to the government has targeted, arrested, and deported undocumented immigrants in the name of national security. But is ICE really looking to maintain our nations safe? Or are they targeting Latinos because most of them cannot defend themselves due to their financial difficulties? Or because they are the minority group most vulnerable when it comes to defending their rights? If the United States government is really looking after the Nation’s National Security they have to focus their resources and attention to the direction from where National Security is most vulnerable and not uses Latinos as scapegoats.

There are more than 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States; Many of them paying taxes to the government by using an ITIN assigned by the IRS. But What is an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) ? It is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is a nine-digit number that always begins with the number 9 and has a 7 or 8 in the fourth digit, example 9XX-7X-XXXX. The IRS issues ITINs to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer identification number but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA). ITINs are issued regardless of immigration status because both resident and nonresident aliens may have U.S. tax return and payment responsibilities under the Internal Revenue Code. Individuals must have a filing requirement and file a valid federal income tax return to receive an ITIN, unless they meet an exception. IRS issues ITINs to help individuals comply with the U.S. tax laws, and to provide a means to efficiently process and account for tax returns and payments for those not eligible for Social Security Numbers. By using an ITIN undocumented workers pay their taxes just like the law requires but unfortunately those taxes are actually helping pay the governmental bureaucracies, including the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).According to ICE their mission is to protect national security by enforcing the nation's customs and immigration laws. But is ICE partially being funded by undocumented immigrants through their taxes to hunt them down?

Undocumented immigrants are not allowed to apply and get a social security number but they are required to comply with tax laws. There is nothing wrong with paying taxes but are these individual being represented in congress? These people work long hour, many under the sun, and in every paycheck money is being deducted to pay their Taxes. It’s a tremendous IRONY to know that the same dollars that undocumented immigrants pay to the government are being used to fund the salaries of ICE officials. Even if a penny is used to pay ICE officials, is money that is coming from hard working undocumented immigrants. It’s a shame for those officials to separate families in the middle of the night or while working in factories. Most of the people arrested by ICE are not criminals, like they claim, but are hard working individuals with families to feed. The federal government instead of using tax dollars to separate families should focus their attention to others areas that will benefit the public, for example, education and reducing the national debt.

Undocumented immigrants are being targeted in the name of National Security. People come up with many excuses to target minorities all the time. Let’s not go too far and see how people have been targeted and even put to death because of their religion, color of skin, or place of origin. In Nazi Germany Jews were blamed for the economic problems plaguing Nazi Germany at that time. This led to the extermination of almost six million Jews. Following the same logic of Nazi Germany it is unfair to target undocumented immigrants because they do not pose a threat to the American People. Being here without proper documentation does not make them criminals. Some of the immigration laws today are un-American and ironic especially when this is a country on immigrants. We are not a threat to the American people, Quite the contrary, immigrants are the nannies of white people, they are the one cooking the food in restaurants, they are the waitresses, they are the ones cleaning their houses, they are the ones doing their laundry, and they are the ones working long hours at the farms to bring the vegetables and fruits to their homes. Labor-intensive work is done by using a mostly migrant workforce. Undocumented immigrants are the providers of food and bread to the American people and are not a threat to national security. The United States government needs to focus its attention to the real threat. It is un-American to call undocumented immigrants criminals especially when they are the ones serving and cooking the food most Americans eat in major restaurant chains.

I would strongly suggest to those people who speak for the sake of ignorance to to their research....

zaira hernandez on Apr 21, 2009 at 16:18:38 said:

i am a fith grader 11 years old and i think immigration is important but its not bad who ever wrote this is lame what were u thinking

MaryJ on Apr 21, 2009 at 13:27:35 said:

The local and state initiatives are the reflection of the peoples' will. That's what you do in a democracy -- you represent the people who elected you. I for one applaud the local politicians who actually listen to the people they were elected to serve, unlike our worthless federal "representatives" who seem to want to represent everyone except Americans.

Ali on Apr 21, 2009 at 10:25:47 said:

\"Funny on Apr 21, 2009 at 07:33:17 said:

A broad, hardline immigration law passed last year includes a plank making it a felony for an undocumented worker to accept work in Mississippi, authorizing penalties of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. U.S. residents may also sue businesses if they are fired and replaced by an unauthorized worker.

HAS ANYONE THOUGHT HOW MUCH $$$$$ IT WOULD COST THE STATE TO HOLD SOMEONE IN PRISON FOR 5 YEARS??\"

Sure, about the same amount as it costs to pay for the bilingual education of an illegal alien child for five years, or a couple of births to illegal aliens. Of course, the state could always put the incarcerated illegal alien to work, and isn\'t that exactly what he came for? :)

Ali on Apr 21, 2009 at 09:52:29 said:

Funny on Apr 21, 2009 at 07:39:34 said:

Funny that that the states that make these laws are the same states that live off other states.
HOW MUCH $$$ dose Mississippi, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, contribute to our nation ????
Thanks for the LAUGH :):)"

Laugh out of the other side of your mouth. Look at how much "immigrant-heavy" CALIFORNIA is in the red and will be bailed out by taxpayers. $42 BILLON last I heard.

Ali on Apr 21, 2009 at 09:49:59 said:

Funny on Apr 21, 2009 at 07:39:34 said:

Funny that that the states that make these laws are the same states that live off other states.
HOW MUCH $$$ dose Mississippi, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, contribute to our nation ????
Thanks for the LAUGH :):)"

Laugh out of the other side of your mouth. Look at how much "immigrant-heavy" CALIFORNIA is in the red and will be bailed out by taxpayers. $42 BILLON last I heard.

Ali on Apr 21, 2009 at 09:46:52 said:

Native American wrote:"Undocumented immigrants paying more taxes than you think!!

Eight million Undocumented immigrants pay Social Security, Medicare and income taxes. Denying public services to people who pay their taxes is an affront to America’s bedrock belief in fairness. But many “pull-up-the-drawbridge” politicians want to do just that when it comes to Undocumented immigrants.

The fact that Undocumented immigrants pay taxes at all will come as news to many Americans. A stunning two thirds of Undocumented immigrants pay Medicare, Social Security and personal income taxes."

And just where did you get these half truths?
The fact is, if illegal aliens are paying SS taxes, etc. then they're doing it under fraudulent or stolen identities--and displacing American workers who should be doing these jobs as well as harming those whose identities they've stolen. It's possible they're paying using ITIN numbers, but the IRS stopped issuing those unless the applicant files an income tax return because it found that 2/3 of its 6 million ITIN holders didn't file taxes. IRS believes that illegal aliens used the ITIN to fool employers because it looks like the SS number. As it is, illegal aliens use far more in services than they'll ever pay in taxes, even were they legalized. In fact, especially were they legalized.

As for it being "unAmerican" to not provide services to people who pay taxes, pull the other one. Plenty of AMERICANS, for example, don't get FREE Medical care even though they pay taxes. We don't get "free" college educations either, or in-state tuition anywhere we please. Taxes are a requirement of citizenship and even residency here because even illegal aliens use plenty of services, such as fire protection, roads, telecommunications, etc. However, we have every right to reserve certain services to citizens and legal residents.

Ali on Apr 21, 2009 at 09:37:34 said:

"Truth on Apr 21, 2009 at 07:41:10 said:

The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) has released a wide-ranging review of academic and government data that shows what legalizing undocumented immigrants would mean for the U.S. economy today. Legalizing undocumented workers would improve wages and working conditions for all workers, and increase tax revenues for cash-strapped federal, state, and local governments. (April 13, 2009)"

You didn't mention that the Immigration Policy Center is the "research" arm of the American Immigration Law Foundation. First rule when using research: look at the biases of those doing the research or funding it. Now, what kind of results would we expect from a group of immigration lawyers? If the research DIDN'T support illegal immigration it would be more surprising--and more believable.

Dana Garcia on Apr 21, 2009 at 08:06:10 said:

Other nations, including Australia and Israel, are either lowering legal immigration or cracking down on illegal because the political leaders have responded to the desire of citizens to lessen numbers of foreign competitors for jobs.

Only American politicians are so arrogant to continue importing excess workers (140,000 per month on auto-pilot) in this cratering economy. What's wrong with this picture?!

Native American on Apr 21, 2009 at 07:42:59 said:

Undocumented immigrants paying more taxes than you think!!

Eight million Undocumented immigrants pay Social Security, Medicare and income taxes. Denying public services to people who pay their taxes is an affront to America’s bedrock belief in fairness. But many “pull-up-the-drawbridge” politicians want to do just that when it comes to Undocumented immigrants.

The fact that Undocumented immigrants pay taxes at all will come as news to many Americans. A stunning two thirds of Undocumented immigrants pay Medicare, Social Security and personal income taxes.

Yet, nativists like Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., have popularized the notion that illegal aliens are a colossal drain on the nation’s hospitals, schools and welfare programs — consuming services that they don’t pay for.

In reality, the 1996 welfare reform bill disqualified Undocumented immigrants from nearly all means tested government programs including food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid and Medicare-funded hospitalization.

The only services that illegals can still get are emergency medical care and K-12 education. Nevertheless, Tancredo and his ilk pushed a bill through the House criminalizing all aid to illegal aliens — even private acts of charity by priests, nurses and social workers.

Potentially, any soup kitchen that offers so much as a free lunch to an illegal could face up to five years in prison and seizure of assets. The Senate bill that recently collapsed would have tempered these draconian measures against private aid.

But no one — Democrat or Republican — seems to oppose the idea of withholding public services. Earlier this year, Congress passed a law that requires everyone who gets Medicaid — the government-funded health care program for the poor — to offer proof of U.S. citizenship so we can avoid “theft of these benefits by illegal aliens,” as Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., puts it. But, immigrants aren’t flocking to the United States to mooch off the government.

According to a study by the Urban Institute, the 1996 welfare reform effort dramatically reduced the use of welfare by undocumented immigrant households, exactly as intended. And another vital thing happened in 1996: the Internal Revenue Service began issuing identification numbers to enable illegal immigrants who don’t have Social Security numbers to file taxes.

One might have imagined that those fearing deportation or confronting the prospect of paying for their safety net through their own meager wages would take a pass on the IRS’ scheme. Not so. Close to 8 million of the 12 million or so illegal aliens in the country today file personal income taxes using these numbers, contributing billions to federal coffers.

No doubt they hope that this will one day help them acquire legal status — a plaintive expression of their desire to play by the rules and come out of the shadows. What’s more, aliens who are not self-employed have Social Security and Medicare taxes automatically withheld from their paychecks.

Since undocumented workers have only fake numbers, they’ll never be able to collect the benefits these taxes are meant to pay for. Last year, the revenues from these fake numbers — that the Social Security administration stashes in the “earnings suspense file” — added up to 10 percent of the Social Security surplus.

The file is growing, on average, by more than $50 billion a year. Beyond federal taxes, all illegals automatically pay state sales taxes that contribute toward the upkeep of public facilities such as roads that they use, and property taxes through their rent that contribute toward the schooling of their children.

The non-partisan National Research Council found that when the taxes paid by the children of low-skilled immigrant families — most of whom are illegal — are factored in, they contribute on average $80,000 more to federal coffers than they consume. Yes, many illegal migrants impose a strain on border communities on whose doorstep they first arrive, broke and unemployed.

To solve this problem equitably, these communities ought to receive the surplus taxes that federal government collects from immigrants. But the real reason border communities are strained is the lack of a guest worker program.

Such a program would match willing workers with willing employers in advance so that they wouldn’t be stuck for long periods where they disembark while searching for jobs. The cost of undocumented aliens is an issue that immigrant bashers have created to whip up indignation against people they don’t want here in the first place.

With the Senate having just returned from yet another vacation and promising to revisit the stalled immigration bill, politicians ought to set the record straight: Illegals are not milking the government. If anything, it is the other way around.


The Undocumented Immigrants pay the exact same amount of taxes like you and me when they buy Things, rent a house, fill up gas, drink a beer or wine, buy appliances, play the states lottery and mega millions . Below are the links to just a few sites that will show you exactly how much tax you or the Undocumented Immigrant pays , so you see they are NOT FREELOADERS, THEY PAY TAXES AND TOLLS Exactly the same as you, Now if you take out 10% from your states /city Budget what will your city/state look like financially ?

Stop your folly thinking , you are wise USE YOUR WISDOM to see the reality. They pay more taxes than you think, Including FEDERAL INCOME TAX using a ITN Number that is given to them by the IRS, Social Security Taxes and State taxes that are withheld form their paychecks automatically.

GAS Taxes paid by you & the Undocumented are the same. Go to and check out your states tax;

Cigarette Taxes paid by you & the Undocumented are the same, check this out in :

Food Taxes, paid by You & the Undocumented are the same in each state check your state :

Clothing Sales Taxes, are the same paid by you & the Undocumented Immigrant;

City Taxes, are the same paid by you or the Undocumented, since he pays rent and the LANDLORD pays the city :

Beer Taxes, are the same paid by you or the Undocumented:

Truth on Apr 21, 2009 at 07:41:10 said:

The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) has released a wide-ranging review of academic and government data that shows what legalizing undocumented immigrants would mean for the U.S. economy today. Legalizing undocumented workers would improve wages and working conditions for all workers, and increase tax revenues for cash-strapped federal, state, and local governments. (April 13, 2009)

Washington, D.C. – The dollars and cents of immigration reform make a lot of sense for the beleaguered U.S. economy. The net economic gain would be $66 billion in new state and federal revenue, according to a new report.

The review, from the nonpartisan Immigration Policy Center, notes that Florida is one of the states with the most to gain if undocumented workers were provided a pathway to legal status. About 500,000 immigrant workers would be affected.

Economist David Kallick with the Fiscal Policy Institute contributed to the study. Right now, he explains, those billions of dollars are lining the pockets of employers - who hire folks in the underground economy and avoid contributing to payroll and other taxes.

"The cost of the underground economy to taxpayers is pretty substantial. The idea is, bringing undocumented immigrants into the 'above-ground' economy and making sure that they pay taxes just like everyone else."

Critics of reform accuse undocumented workers of "stealing" American jobs; some want to deport everyone who is in the U.S. illegally. Kallick argues that immigrants do not steal good-paying jobs, and more legal workers in the labor pool will help grow the entire economy.

That's also the view of Esther Lopez, director of civil rights and community action for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union International. She says labor groups see that legalization is good for all workers, and she considers it an important step in rebuilding the middle class.

"We need an immigration system that is part of our national economic recovery program. We need immigration reform that punishes employers who 'game' the system to drive down wages and working conditions."

Funny on Apr 21, 2009 at 07:39:34 said:

Funny that that the states that make these laws are the same states that live off other states.
HOW MUCH $$$ dose Mississippi, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, contribute to our nation ????
Thanks for the LAUGH :):)

Funny on Apr 21, 2009 at 07:33:17 said:

A broad, hardline immigration law passed last year includes a plank making it a felony for an undocumented worker to accept work in Mississippi, authorizing penalties of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. U.S. residents may also sue businesses if they are fired and replaced by an unauthorized worker.

HAS ANYONE THOUGHT HOW MUCH $$$$$ IT WOULD COST THE STATE TO HOLD SOMEONE IN PRISON FOR 5 YEARS??

JSmith on Apr 21, 2009 at 06:01:05 said:

There is NO reaction against immigration in this country...I have not seen it anywhere. There is a reaction to ILLEGAL immigration. Your inability to see the difference between legal and illegal immigration is significant and makes your entire article a lie.

Ali Alexander on Apr 21, 2009 at 05:59:22 said:

Gee, so local and state laws now follow federal law in recognizing that illegal aliens have no right to be in this country much less to work here or collect benefits.
What a concept! Don't count too much on Obama, either. This is one issue that cuts across party lines and that inflames ordinary Americans like no other. Illegal immigration violates our basic concepts of fairness--try cutting in line sometime and see what happens.