By James R. Edwards, Jr.
Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, has highlighted the fiscal costs of illegal immigrants. Mr. Smith spelled out illegal immigrants’ additional costs to American taxpayers, should Congress pass an amnesty bill, in a tax day blog. Bottom line: We’re talking untold billions of dollars! (LINK)
Far from rescuing Social Security’s fiscal solvency, mass legalization would worsen the ponzi scheme. Social Security would careen toward bankruptcy. Millions more legalized low-income beneficiaries would get far more money in retirement than they paid during their work career.
“The legalization of one million illegal immigrant couples who work for very low wages would be a $101 billion blow to taxpayers. And amnesty for all [11 million] illegal immigrants would multiply this figure many times!”
Education costs associated with illegal aliens already run upwards of $29 billion each year. Health “reform” could add $10 billion to $30 billion a year. Thus, amnesty would amount to a huge wealth transfer program — a boon for the illegal immigrants who legalize their status! Not much of a deal for American taxpayers.
James R. Edwards Jr., coauthor of The Congressional Politics of Immigration Reform, is a Fellow with the Center for Immigration Studies.
