Delegates seek cost of illegals

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ANNAPOLIS -- Maryland taxpayers deserve to know how much the state is paying to subsidize education, housing and health care for illegal aliens before it breaks the budget, two Republican delegates from Baltimore County say.

"We are losing money in taxes; we are losing money on education; and we are losing money on health care," said Delegate Patrick L. McDonough. "And at the same time, [illegal immigrants] are sending money back to their homelands to the tune of $22 million and they are freeloading on the system and exploiting us."

What's more, Mr. McDonough and Delegate Richard K. Impallaria said, they agree with immigrant-advocacy group CASA of Maryland's claim that Illegal aliens are being exploited by local employers, but said the problem goes deeper.

"See, the problem is, when you create a lawless society, where the immigration act is ignored, you then create problems for the people already in that society," Mr. McDonough said. "The CASA report makes it clear that people are being exploited, but these are people that shouldn't be here to start with."

"What we are trying to do is to get people to immigrate here legally," Mr. Impallaria said. "The more you don't enforce immigration laws, the more violations of immigration laws are going to go up."

Earlier this month, CASA asked the Montgomery County Council to crack down on people who neglect the immigrants they hire by establishing a living wage of at least $10.50 an hour. The group also is requesting paid holidays, sick leave, vacation time and family and medical leave.

The delegates, who are co-sponsoring legislation for a study on illegal immigration for the second year, said last year CASA fought their bill, which would have provided basic numbers and exposed the economic impact and the exploitation of illegal immigrants.

"It seems like they wanted to cover up the problem that many of these people are illegals," Mr. McDonough said.

CASA officials did not return repeated calls to comment.

The study " one of six immigration-related bills the two delegates have written " is being considered in the House Economic Matters Committee this month, Mr. Impallaria said. The other bills call for:

• Requiring Baltimore County police, without warrants, to arrest illegal aliens and turn them over to federal authorities.

• Prohibiting illegal aliens from receiving state services.

• Seizing cars driven by illegal immigrants and suspending the licenses of anyone who allows illegal aliens to drive their vehicles.

• Creating a task force to study whether health care workers should be required to report treating illegal aliens.

• Making English the official state language.

The bills were killed in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly last year.

"We said last year this is the first inning in a nine-inning ballgame," Mr. McDonough said. "Regardless of the outcome this time, we will be back next year in an election year. We believe we are on the right side of the issue."