The next time President Obama feigns concern over the national deficit, Americans should ask him why he does not take a simple step that would free up $1 trillion a decade, assure his social spending went to his fellow countrymen, and allow one of our allies to rebuild its traditional way of life: He could deport every illegal immigrant in the United States.
The facts are out: deportation would be considerably less expensive than the unsustainable influx of illegal aliens who all-too-readily enroll in our entitlement programs. On December 3, the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs of the Department of Homeland Security, Nelson Peacock, responded to a letter from a number of senators about the costs of deporting all illegal aliens. “Our conservative estimate suggests that ICE would require a budget of more than $135 billion to apprehend, detain and remove the nation’s entire illegal immigrant population,” he wrote.
The Center for American Progress (CAP) – the most influential “progressive” think tank in Washington, which was founded with seed money from George Soros – released a report in March that provided a slightly higher estimate. CAP forecast it would cost taxpayers $285 billion over five years to “snare the 10.8 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.” The report assumed “20 percent of the current population [of illegals], or 2.16 million people, would depart before any contact with authorities,” that is, they would voluntarily self-deport. The residue would cost $200 billion to deport. The Center padded the total with another $85 billion to hold the line for five years.
Given the Center’s political orientation, we may safely assume theirs is the upper ceiling. But how would these estimates compare with the status quo?
In July, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) released a study, The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers, stating illegal immigrants cost U.S. taxpayers $113 billion every year in benefits at the local, state, and federal levels combined.
Under the most liberal estimate, the five-year cost of deporting every illegal immigrant in the United States would pay for itself in 2.5 years. It would be just 14 months according to ICE.
Over ten years, the United States would save $1.13 trillion, or $845 billion in the first decade minus CAP’s estimated deportation costs.
These estimates, of course, only tally economic savings to the government. They do not reflect the substantial economic and personal well-being each American will experience from lower rates of drug trafficking, murders, gang activity, kidnappings, sexual assaults, crime, home invasions, overcrowded schools, hospital closures caused by soaring medical costs, job losses, prison detentions, bilingual status, property damage, environmental degradation, and overburdened infrastructure. The more educated children of illegals, whom Obama hopes to reward with the DREAM Act, would squeeze native-born citizens out of competitive slots in universities and careers; deporting them, as I have suggested, would open up educational and employment opportunities for our own citizens. These benefits are truly incalculable, yet they are never mentioned as part of the immigration debate.
Some may object that deporting 11-13 million illegal immigrants is impossible. History proves not only that it can be done but that it has been done.
The United States government has encouraged massive repatriation of illegal immigrants a number of times – first in the early days of the Great Depression, and various times until the 1950s. The most significant effort took place in 1954, when President Eisenhower commenced “Operation Wetback” to deport the illegal immigrants – then as now, mostly from Mexico – whose numbers had grown 6,000 percent in ten years.
Ike turned the plan over to the commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), General Joseph Swing. The two generals cleaned house in three months.
Over the course of 90 days, a mere 750 federal agents, working with state and local law enforcement, deported 80,000 illegal immigrants from Texas. Nearly ten times that many illegals (700,000 to be precise) voluntarily left the Lone Star State, with perhaps another half-million self-deporting from Arizona and California. Instead of dumping them at the nearest border town, INS agents shipped them by train or boat deep into the interior of Mexico, to places like Vera Cruz. Ike’s operations would solve the problem of cheap illegal labor until the mid-1960s.
Could the same thing be accomplished today? The surviving veterans of the operation have no doubt. Walt Edwards, a Border Patrol agent in the 1950s, has said, “Some say we cannot send 12 million illegals now in the United States back where they came from. Of course we can!”
Yes, we can! Si, se puede!
Already, the number of voluntary self-deportations is on the rise, partly from a poor economy and partly from increased pressure. At the moment, ICE or the U.S. Marshals charter flights from 40 cities into the interior of Mexico.
And the greatest beneficiary of these operations appears to be Mexico itself.
The Houston Chronicle noted last year that several Mexican interior states “such as Guanajuato and Chihuahua have announced employment programs for possible returnees.” The newspaper ran a two-part series in 2009 chronicling the lives of several illegal immigrants returned home – the joyous families, the skills they have taught, and the businesses they have opened in the once-barren towns.
Far from being resentful, the deportees have returned to their villages with the agricultural or technological skills they learned in the United States and opened businesses they believe will allow their friends and neighbors to make a life for themselves without leaving Mexico or breaking American law.
In Guanajato, deep in Mexico’s midsection, Jesus Ramirez opened the Nuevo Lindero Dairy Society after being deported from Los Estados Unidos. He now employs 45 families. “Here, almost 50 percent of the population goes to the United States. When they reach 18, they say, ‘See you later,’” he lamented. “With this source of jobs, we hope our children will stay.”
Nor is he alone. Blas Chavez and his brother Alejandro had lived in San Antonio before being returned; now they grow tomatoes in greenhouses and employ 25 fellow Mexicans. “Our workers are from the community,” Blas said. “They can work here all year, and they don’t have to risk taking the trip north.” Alejandro added, “Right now I’m struggling to recruit kids to go to college.” One of their employees, Josue Garcia Arteaga, who was also deported from the United States, seems grateful for the chance to stay in his homeland. “Now I have a son who is 11 months old. I have a job, and here, I can make what I need to maintain my family. That’s why I haven’t gone back.”
In one Mexican state alone, the newspaper explains, returning citizens have opened “a women’s cooperative producing restaurant tablecloths, a tequila distillery and a factory to assemble tote bags for California wineries.”
The Mexican embassy has stated these returnees have grown their country and helped once deserted towns thrive. Ricardo Alday, a spokesman for the Mexican Embassy, has said his government’s assistance for local businesses is “a way for us to provide, as much as we can, new opportunities for our citizens and at the same time, strengthen the local and state economies and provide them with hope after they return to our country.”
These returned deportees – unwanted in the United States – have made a significant step toward turning Mexico’s economic desert bloom into brilliant shades of verde. It seems immoral to destroy Mexican village life by providing incentives for these entrepreneurs to abandon their friends, families, and country to become “cheap labor” for agribusiness, cooks in Mexican restaurants, or nannies to aspiring gubernatorial candidates.
True, the move would not be without political controversy, but it is clearly both in our interest and in the interests of Mexicans.
It will not be without economic costs, but this relatively modest amount of money will be spent enforcing our laws, not undermining them; enhancing the value of U.S. citizenship, not debasing it; uniting our society, not dividing it by creating a subsect of residents who are linguistically and culturally isolated; shutting the door to welfare spending and government dependence, not throwing it wide open to anyone who can cross one of our borders.
Instead, President Obama has sued the sheriff most committed to upholding immigration law and hauled the state of Arizona before the United Nations to answer for its alleged violation of illegal immigrants’ constitutional rights. After all, his agribusiness donors need cheap labor; his Democratic buddies need fodder for voter fraud; and the Cloward-Piven Strategy requires their warm bodies to pad out the welfare rolls that Americans are not yet doing, even in the recession he has presided over.
A president who placed the well-being of his country first would deport all illegal aliens. The fact that Obama is fighting with all his vigor to protect their interests should tell everyone how concerned he is with the well-being of America.
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No need to spend money to deport illegals. The illegal immigration is soooooo easy to solve. If the below was in place the illegals would go back home or find another place to live.
Deny all benefits (incentives) to all illegals.
Re-estrablish original immigration laws.
Send all illegal immigrant prisoners back to their homeland.
If you are found hiring aiding or abetting an illegal $25,000 fine and 5 years in jail.
In the case of illegals coming from Mexico I would let it be known to everyone if you are seen sneaking across the border you will be shot and your body dragged back to Mexico, dead or alive.
Bingo!! problem solved! It is called tough love, protecting our Country and it's citizens. Tolerance and compassion goes just so far, but then I am just a right-wing racist, bigot, homophobic, uncompassionate, uncaring, patriotic American citizen, Viet Nam vet who loves this country and is willing to die for it!!!
You want to visit me in my house knock on the door and I will invite to in. Sneak or break in you will suffer the consequences!!!
Other than firing on illegals as they cross the border, I am with you 100%. I still think that if we fully implement and enforce our current laws, along with putting enough boots on the ground, we can stop the influx.
You can forget about shooting the illegals crossing the border. See Nappy's latest:
"While Napolitano was in Mexico finalizing the trusted traveler agreement this week, she also took the opportunity to sign a “letter of intent” to develop a plan for protecting immigrants from criminal attacks as they cross the border—illegally—into the U.S. Mexican officials have long complained that American law enforcement officers stand by as illegal immigrants are robbed, killed or violently beaten. Napolitano has committed to reducing the risk to life and security of migrants, according to the Mexican minister."
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2010/dec/truste…
Someone should take that boob Napolitano and tell her to start protecting Americans and screw the illegals.This incompetent leader of Homeland Security should be fired and made to apologize to the American public for violating the trust of keeping our borders safe.
“If you are found hiring aiding or abetting an illegal $25,000 fine and 5 years in jail.” I feel they should lose their business license and right to obtain one.
Also!
I AM TIRED OF AMERICA BEING TORN DOWN AND ILLEGALS USING OUR RESOURCES THANKS TO THE GOVERNMENT. IMPEACH HIM AS HE HAS NEVER PROVEN HE IS A CITIZEN AND IS TEARING UP OUR CONSTITUTION
ALL ILLEGAL MUST GO
I agree with bobmann101. I have been urging California Governor Schwarzenegger to subcontract our prisons holding illegal immigrants to Mexico. A it would be cheaper and B, when they get out, they will be in their own country. They can be deported as they serve time fo their crimes. Also if Arizona's law is upheld, the police could turn illegals they encounter breaking traffic laws etc over to ICE and then they could get deported. A litle toughness would go a long way to motivating others to self deport.
All those immigrants who managed to get into the U.S. can manage to find their way back.
Bobmann has it right but he forgot cut out medicaid and Pancho and the family will keep our emergency rooms unclogged for real emergency.Next we hear from politicians stating there is noway to round them up,well when congressman Guiterrez(misspelled) leads his uncivil disobedient march then he will deliver them right to the door and if we had a government with a set of balls we would have ICE,DOJ waiting.I guess I must be an uncompassionate racist also because I believe in protecting America.God these people are converting to Islam to become jihadists ain't that a kick in the pants
Mr. Johnson : I like the idea that your article puts forth. It is what I would consider the best solution to our illegal immigrant problem., but it will never be implemented. Far too many politicians would vote against it because, as you stated, their desire for votes. It is getting easier to prove vote fraud involving votes in deceased people''s names, because of computers. However, a live person voting is a different situation. Unless this person is bilingual, they can be told that they are voting for anyone and their ballot marked for someone else….an easy way to guarantee an election to anyone.
If we didn't have so damn many crooked polititions, and a userper for president we wouldn't have an immigration problem. The polititions are the problem.
Next to our Politicans being a huge source of the problem comes the greedy Americans who want cheap labor to build their personal wealth (who hire them for minimal wages) and do not pay their share in taxes; unemployment taxes, SS, medicaid, etc.
#1- we need to cut off all entitlement programs to illegals
#2 – no more free education in ANY of our Schools at any grade level
# 3 – Any Employer who hires an illegal should lose all personal/business assets and the state liquidate all, and the money put toward securing our borders AND a MINIMUM of 10 years in prison NO CHANCE FOR PAROLE!!! Once released violators wages to be garnished over a period of time in order to reimburse our prison facility for housing you! If this doesn't stop the problem in it's tracks then oh well, do the crime, do the time.
# 4 – call, write, email, etc. all senators, congressman; every elected official and let them know where you stand (once you have the contact information share it with every True American that you know so we can flood them with our statements) I am tired of our jobs, entitlement programs that we support with taxes that WE pay going to illegals who do not contribute one dime!!!
Correction.. There are FAR MORE than 11 million illegal aliens in the USA..
CAPS Study suggests that up to 38 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIENS occupy America.. http://onelargeonion.blogspot.com/2009/09/patriot…
When we get a REAL American President back in the W/House…..This problem has to be fixed for good this time….NO more games – kick ALL the Freakin illegals back over the border…In the meantime – the GOP had better NOT pass any more immigration bills – unless it is to send these F—-ing bastardos back to mexico FOR GOOD!!!!
First of all, let's begin by enacting measures which will encourage people to voluntarily migrate back across the border from whence they came 1) make English the official langauge of the US 2) Immediately stop all printing of US documents in Spanish and stop funding any and all bi-lingual initiatives 3) correctly interpret the 14th amendment which was to grant citizenship to the childfen of slaves, who although free were not citizens prior to its passage. The case of Plyley vs US was brought by Chinese immigrant parents, who were both in the US legally, operating a business, who sued for citizenship of their infant daughter. It was NEVER intended to allow free-loading immigrants a free ride simply because they are fertile. 4) Every state in the Union pass a law like AZ, which supports the Federal immigration law. 5) make it illegal for any non-citizen to receive benefits like welfare, social security, etc. 6) every state pass a law requiring a birth certificate to obtain a driver's license. 7) Offer free passage to all illegals to who turn themselves in for deportation. Watch the illegals run back home when there is no more free breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The government is taking control of our lives.
Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting. Well, for example, the other day I went downtown and into a shop. I was only there for about 5 minutes, and when I came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket. I said to him, 'Come on, man, how about giving a retired person a break'? He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a 'Nazi.' He glared at me and wrote another ticket for having worn tires. So I called him a 'doughnut eating Gestapo.' He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he wrote a third ticket. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more I abused him the more tickets he wrote. Personally, I didn't care. I came downtown on the bus, and the car that he was putting the tickets on had a bumper sticker that said, 'I ♥ Obama.' I try to have a little fun each day now that I'm retired. It's important to my health.
lol! Love it!
ROFLMAO! That’s great keep up the good work!
If all you dumb ass ppl think about it we all come from immigrant families. The USA is a melting pot of all immigrants. We all might not be from Mexico or Latin America. Go back and look at your family tree. Yea immigrants take the low paying jobs. Some ppl don’t like working their ass off.Its not just illegals depending on government assistance. Some US citizens just keep a part time job to get government assistance. It’s what ever bc ignorant ppl don’t understand or care .
1-As far as the ones that were brought here as children, once they hit 18 it was their responsibility to apply for citizenship so they have nobody else to blame!
2-And the notion to having to deport all of them is nonsense. If they want to work or be welcomed here again in the future, they must self-deport and they can take their children with them and get dual citizenship, so the nonsense of splitting families goes away too. Most illegals children already speak their language and have family support to learn it if they don't!
3-If our military kids can learn to adjust in other countries, illegals children can too!