Is illegal immigration worsening California's budget woes?

Many readers who have offered comments about California's budget crisis have urged officials to look at the effect of illegal immigration on the deficit.

The Times' Teresa Watanabe and Anna Gorman decided to look into the question. Here are some findings:

--State welfare officials estimate that cutting off welfare payments to illegal immigrants for their U.S.-born children could save about $640 million annually if it survives legal challenges.

--California has roughly 2.7 million illegal residents, about 7% of the state’s population. State officials estimate that they add between $4 billion and $6 billion in costs, primarily for prisons and jails, schools and emergency rooms.

--Beyond those services, the illegal population adds to the overall cost of other parts of local government, including police and fire protection, highway maintenance and libraries.

--On the other side of the ledger, illegal residents pay taxes -- sales taxes on what they buy, gasoline taxes when they fuel their cars, property taxes if they own homes. How much those taxes come to is hotly debated, although most researchers agree that the short-term costs to state and local government are bigger than the revenues.

Read their full report here. What do you think? Share your comments below.

Comments

[The Southern Patriot]

Immigrants from Third World countries do nothing to improve America. These people simply bring their poverty, filth, disease and ignorance with them.

[m]

I wonder why this was posted late at night, probably to avoid attention.

Illegal purchasing power and property taxes (if they own homes, it's in poorer neighborhoods) would not come close to the billions that are taken in services. This is a travesty and a smack in the face to every single hard working, tax paying, law abiding American citizen.

LOOK AT THE COSTS. WHY ARE WE SUBSIDIZING CHEAP LABOR FOR CORPORATIONS THROUGH PUBLIC BENEFITS FOR ILLEGALS? WHY ARE OUR SERVICES, SCHOOLS AND SAFETY BEING COMPROMISED FOR PROFIT?

[Figgins]

Er HELLO? Of course illegals add to the cost of running the State. What a &%*##@ no brainer. Add in the cost of educating the illegals' children, and it's no wonder that our school systems are broken, and newspapers have reporters and editors so dense they actually had to "look in to the question."

[john]

I personally met an illegal immigrant who said she does not marry the father of her kid so she can collect more money from the state. The mecha teaches them how to go around the welfare system. Even if you to the DPSS, you would be ignored if you dont have connections to the goverment workers. The whole system has been hijacked by the Mexican Mecha/Mafia. Just go to LAUSD, even the workers, they prefer hispanics and if you go against their choice of supervisor, you would be charged of a man made case.

[bditman]

There is more to the cost of illegal immigration than just the Dollars spent of illegal aliens. All children and parents with children pay for overcrowded schools; all emergency room patients - insured or not - suffer too. Police and jails are taxed beyond their limits. I tried to enroll my son in our local elementary school, and I was told there was no room. Tonight I read a story how some illegal lady gets over $3000 per month for her and her kids. That's more than we make as a family and we work full time.The system is sick, very sick.

[Kia]

How do ILLEGAL immigrants buy houses? How do they get financing? Can't be legally.

[Dean Smith--Palm Desert, California---USA]

We need better controls and restrictions on welfare. Citizenship should be only one of the requirements. Proof that you are seeking employment should be another.

To make the claim that enforcing the law and cleaning up fraud will result in homelessness.....is pure hogwash. I'm willing to pay taxes to support the sick and lame.......but not the lazy.

[Arcy]

I strongly believe that this deficit is due to the glamorous lives of politicians, the greediness of those in position of power like mortgage banks, credit cards companies, free housing, food stamps and some many other great benefits for the so called minority groups, and those billions or even trillions of dollars that go out to those countries that U.S. is conquering and "rebuilding".
Oh, Yeah... and now all those millions of dollars to pay for Mister MJ's funeral. Those poor illegal immigrants are still looking for a JOB to support themselves and their families.

[Louweegie272]

With 12% unemployment and another 20% under employment,
one third of Californians can't find enough work. Since 1990, Los Angeles has added 1 million people and subtracted 400,000 jobs. 1 million is the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in LA. We have a projected poverty rate of 37% which is exactly the dropout rate at LAUSD. We cannot afford any more people, we can't even afford to care for the people who are here. Legally. If you are here illegally, please go home. The economy that brought you here was a big lie.
It never existed.

[andy]

Why would you ask? The answer is obvious. I suggest we use the same rules Mexico uses of illegals in their Country.

[Colin77042]

I do not understand how it is even possible that you people are considering continuing to pay costs of 4-6 BILLION for people who do not belong here. If you came to my house and managed not to get shot, I sure wouldn't let you pick food off of my childrens' plates and take medicine out of my cabinet. Why do you do it as a state? I cant believe you people put a 10 billion dollar train to vegas or whatever and illegal immigrants ahead of the teachers, police, firefighters, and children. YOU ARE PATHETIC for trying to buy votes from illegals and their ilk.

Colin from TX, the state that created more jobs than every other state in the union combined AND the place most Californians choose to move themselves and their tax revenues to.

hahahahahahahahahah

[Former CA resident]

I agree that illegal immigration has exacerbated CA's budget woes. (Victor Davis Hanson covered the costs of the illegals back in 2003 in his excellent book "Mexifornia." Did anyone heed his advice?) Since the federal gov't has done nothing to stop the inflow of illegals, I have a suggestion. Why not bill the federal gov't for the extra costs to the state? Of course, it will be denied, but then maybe it can be appealed and work its way through the court system to the Supreme Court where the Justices have the opportunity to do what Congress has been unwilling to do -- that is, force the protection of our borders.

[Michael Ramirez]

I'm tired of cut backs from teachers,law enforcement and medical care. Yes it is time for undocumented worker to take cutbacks as well. Billions of our tax dollars are spent on people that are not suppose to be here. Employers of undocumented workers need to be placed in jail have their home and business and back accounts confiscated. E-verify and the 287g program are two great programs that all Californian should be backing, to curb illegal immigration. Amnesty equals immigration reform do not be fooled again.

[Louweegie272]

Of course illegal immigration affects our budget. The cost for the State is estimated at 5-14 billion dollars. The economy that brought many of these immigrants no longer exists. In fact, it never did. Los Angeles has a 33% under-employment rate. People who don't belong here should go home, we can't afford them.

[adriana]

Great way to cause hysteria....lets all blame the problems on illegal immigrants and not look to the pigs sitting on the state capitol scratching each others backs. Great reporting girls, you really know how to feed the ignorant with your scare tactics.

[cbeanshop]

Most illegal immigrants I know would like nothing more than to be full US tax paying citizens but because of their illegal status they cannot get regular jobs and usually work for cash off the books. This avoids paying any income tax which is a huge preoblem for our state and federal budgets. I am no politician but this is an enormous problem that needs thoughtful fixing. Illegal immigrants need to work "on the books" and contribute. Either that or lets get rid of California income tax and just charge an obsenely high sales tax. Legal or not we all have to buy stuff and thus we all pay.

[Matt]

There is no hard consensus on the economic impact of illegal immigration. There is, however, a general consensus that illegal immigrants are a net cost on the system in the short term, but a net benefit to the system in the long term.

Either way, illegal immigration is one of the classic wedge issues of the culture war era. It's a perfect distraction, what Obama was referring to when he said people cling to guns and religion. It's easy to blame the Mexicans for the problems caused by our actions: Prop. 13, Prop. 98, term limits, gerrymandering. The voters have been implementing boneheaded legislation for decades, and now that the bill has come due, they want to blame someone else.

[Common Sense]

Of course illegal immigration worsens the California budget. Why should all of this free welfare and healthcare be provided to people that broke the law and betray the trust of California. This is common sense. Then you've got silly irrational people that talk about reducing the rate of illegal immigration rather than cut off benefits. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. They come here for the benefits! Cut them off and you reduce problems in two areas. If this state does not start making some tough compromises, it's doomed. Lawmakers, lets get real here. I hope this gets on the ballot and I will happily vote against illegal immigration benifits.

[Estelle]

As much as I would LOVE for the state government to cut off the welfare payments that illegal alien parents receive on behalf of their American-born children, guess what? That kind of action is against the law.

Until Federal law is amended to take away the automatic birthright of children born on American soil to illegal alien parents, which unfortunately will never happen, the state cannot deny American citizen children services - health care, education, welfare, on the basis that their parents are illegal aliens.

The cutesy work-around is that these illegal aliens do not receive welfare benefits for themselves - they are eligible for public housing, welfare, food stamps, etc. on behalf of their American-born children. The state could terminate the parental rights of these parents, but then we'd break the already broken 'child protective system' with an influx of millions more children who would be placed into abusive and neglectful foster care. This action would come at a much higher cost to the taxpayers than if we'd just left the illegal alien family intact and let them continue getting welfare.

[Luke]

There is no question how bad illegal immigration has been for California and the whole US. It is simply the evasions of the Democrats and some Republicans that has allowed this problem to go and fester. In catering to the Latino vote, they were too busy yelling "racist" to bother to take the issue seriously. Well, the ducks have come home to roost.

[Javier Marroquin]

This is a no-brainer - illegal immigration is of course draining our resources. I believe the Pew numbers reported are grossly understated, and that the problem is much more serious than estimated. Sending the children of illegal immigrants to public schools amounts to little more than free babysitting for their parents. The parents, in turn, work for cash - and because they have no reportable income, they are automatically eligible for the state aid outlined in this article. It's called "double dipping" in English. Illegal immigrants come to America because the Federal government has not fulfilled its duty to protect our borders. Now, faced with budget defecits at all levels of government, swift and decisive action must be taken to correct prior inaction and stop the fiscal hemorrhaging. Endless tear-jerking accounts of individual hardships caused by an end to government aid will abound; but remember that the people we are talking about knowingly came to this country illegally, and fly under the radar of detection on a daily basis. It must end. Now.

[Judy]

I don't care about the LITTLE taxes they pay. They only pay that little because they can't help -- it is purely unintentional. Our government is late getting them out of here. They are a BIG part of what has happened to this nation which is unplanned OVERPOPULATION which impacted not only housing but all public services. Americans are the biggest suckers on earth. It is mainly the American rich who want them here to work them for less .. not even paying enough so they can afford themselves, leaving their care to the working poor taxpayers. Illegal immigrants and so-called free trade (which serves only the rich) has ruined our nation and the world.

[jggrimm]

quoting this article:
-California has roughly 2.7 million illegal residents, about 7% of the state’s population. State officials estimate that they add between $4 billion and $6 billion in costs, primarily for prisons and jails, schools and emergency rooms.

Now let me think a minute. 7% of the population, here against our laws, by official state accounts cost 4 to 6 billions dollars annually in... here it comes now, from our LA Times report... primarily for PRISONS and JAILS, SCHOOLS and EMERGENCY ROOMS.

And the question is: "Is Illegal Immigration Worsening California's Budget Woes?" Are we supposed to answer that with a straight face? 7% of the population is presently accountable for 25% of the state budget deficit. I would say that is not making things better, and it never has.

We chase out the wealth creating business people and invite the money takers, of all origins, and we wonder why we are broke. The revenue generators moved out. The welfare state moved in. Why are we broke? Are you serious?

[bob]

Definitely it's not illegal immigrations' fault. California politicians are blamed for so wickedless spending too much and not really caring about revenue and not keep the budget balance at all for several past years! It's not fair for blame or put a spot on illegal immigration. It's totally crap. Wake up you people!

[Mario]

Maybe you should have included, the cost to Americans quality of life...

The healthcare that was readily available to low income and poor Americans is no longer available.

Because many Illegal Immigrants drive, traffic congestion keeps American families separated more.

Cost & Demand drives up prices in Rent, Food, Gasoline, Utilities, entertainment etc.

Crime cost Americans in blood and treasure.

ID theft devastates American citizens for years on end.

Illegal immigration drives down wages for American citizens.

Illegal immigration, creates a discrimination vacuum where its okay for employers to discriminate against non bilingual employees.

Educating their children for potentially better paying jobs is a good thing, but do you interrupt the educational process for American children to do it, that they can compete in the long term against them?

Now add the financial costs associated with it, and you get a better idea that its not just dollars and cents, but the quality of life illegal immigrants are seeking at the reduction of Americans.

[duxbellorum]

Finally.

This issue needs serious inspection, not knee-jerk screaming from either side. This elephant has always been in the room.

Here are some questions: In this beyond-emergency situation, would curtailing services to illegals go any way towards balancing the state budget? On this sinking ship-of-state are illegals significantly tipping the boat? Do they contribute enough - in all ways - for the legitimate population to continue carrying them? Should this issue be considered, seriously, by local and state government? Numbers and facts, please, not rhetoric.

I'd like to see the elephant acknowledged and addressed in a rational, pragmatic fashion, and hard questions asked and answered.

I freely state I do not know the answers -- not my area of expertise -- that's why I'm asking. Is our current situation considered a crisis? If we are in a crisis, and there's not enough money to go around, does it make sense to service the legitimate population first? How would that be done?

What the Legislature is unwilling to acknowledged and act upon is that for the body to live, it will probably need to lose a limb.

[C L]

Contrary to the anti-immigrant rhetoric, illegal immigrants are not eligible for welfare, unemployment, or food stamps. They don’t get free medical care. Although hospitals are required to provide emergency care to everyone, including immigrants, hospitals do charge everyone. It is not free care. Despite the fact that they are tax-payers, illegal immigrants cannot take advantage of the social programs their taxes support. They are not eligible for health programs like Medi-Cal. I personally know many immigrants who are paying their bills like everyone else.

All the studies that have been done point out that those who are clogging Hospitals ERs are in the majority US citizens who are insured. According to a report by the Center for Studying Health System Change organization, communities with higher numbers of uninsured, Hispanics or non-citizens have a lower use of hospital emergency departments. Emergency rooms are crowded because they fill up with patients who cannot get in to see their own doctor or are waiting for regular hospital beds, states a report by American College of Emergency Physicians. About 84% of frequent emergency-room users had health insurance and 81% had a source of primary healthcare either through a doctor or a clinic, the study found. About half had government-subsidized health plans like Medicaid or Medicare, while a third had private plans. The uninsured account for just 15% of emergency-room visits. And of this percent, the illegal alien population is negligible. A study by the Rand Corp., published in the November 2006 issue of Health Affairs, found that undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles County use disproportionately fewer medical services.

Scools are generally supported by sales or property taxes. Everyone pays these taxes, including illegal immigrants, whether they own a home, or rent, as the tax is eventually passed to a renter by the owner.

The California Community Foundation in Los Angeles has released a report stating that immigrants make up nearly half the Los Angeles workforce and contribute nearly 40 percent of the county's gross regional product. Despite lower-than-average wages, immigrants also account for more than one-third of the county's spending power.

According to the California Immigrant Policy Center immigrants pay approximately $5.2 billion in state income taxes each year; they contribute an additional $4.6 billion in sales taxes. Immigrants in California have a combined federal tax contribution of more than $30 billion annually. In California,the average immigrant-headed household contributes a net $2,679 annually to Social Security, which is $539 more than the average US-born household.

Immigrant households and businesses paid approximately $300 billion in federal, state, and local taxes: $165 billion in federal income taxes, $85 billion in state and local income taxes, and $50 billion in business taxes. (Report authored by Stephen Moore, Senior Economics Writer at the Wall Street Journal and former director of Fiscal Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, and Richard Vedder, Distinguished Professor of Economics at Ohio University). Since 1996, the I.R.S. has distributed about 15 million Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers to enable people without Social Security numbers to pay taxes. More than 75 percent of immigrants, arrive in their prime working years.

According to the Social Security Administration, illegal immigrants have contributed more than $400 billion to the SS fund since the 1980s.

About 28 percent of L.A. County residents are baby boomers who will eventually need to be replaced in the workforce, many of them by immigrants. With more than 80 million baby boomers retiring in the next 20 years, it will be these people who will provide a social security check so that these people won't die in poverty.

Immigrants create companies that hire workers and create economic activities at higher rates than the native born. Economist William Ford of Middle Tennessee State University calculates that illegal immigrants contributed $428 billion dollars to the nation's $13.6 trillion gross domestic product in 2006. Since 1996, the I.R.S. has distributed about 15 million Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers to enable people without Social Security numbers to pay taxes. I.R.S.

If illegal immigrants are to be made the scapegoat of our times, then they shouldn't be forced to pay for social programs that others benefit from, using their taxes.

[AAAAANDRE]

Wow! Am I on the wrong web site???

Illegal Aliens may not be "THE" cause of our state's budget problems, but as this article (and many before on other sites) shows, they ARE a significant drain of resources that needs to be stopped.

When are our elected officials going to step up and work for the citizens of this state instead of for the citizens of foreign countries?

[FU-NA-MU-NA]

L.A Times - are you just figuring this out now? Give me a break - if funding the illegals was halted years ago - we would not be in this mess. Hey California government - why don't we just enforce the laws already on the books concerning illegal immigration - or is that to hard - no support - you must deport!

[Mike]

As much as everybody likes to make illegal immigration a racial issue, the fact is, it can't be argued that 2.7 million extra people would be an expense to any state no matter where they came from. Of course they're worsening the budget woes. It's nothing personal, it's just simple math.

[anotherview]

How could illegal aliens not impact the state budget? The news report omitted mention of illegal aliens not filing state income tax returns, depriving the state of due revenue. Illegal alien workers supplant citizen workers, who do file state income tax returns. If employed, citizens would not draw on social welfare programs, thereby reducing state costs. The $4 billion to $6 billion the state spends on illegal aliens could go instead to reduce the budget deficit, and defer the loans with interest for otherwise spending this money. Illegal aliens have no right to live and work in America, much less California. The state could cooperate with federal authorities to identify and detain illegal aliens for their due deportation. State costs would drop accordingly. America can do fine without illegal aliens, and would prosper all the more.

[Jackie]

It seems hateful to blame the budget problem on undocumented people when the real problem is that we just want more than we are willing to pay for.

We have a $26.3 billion deficit. Illegal immigrants cost about the state about $4-6 billion, but probably pay more than that in sales, gas, property, and, in some cases, income tax. The problem is that much of that goes to the federal government (maybe the feds should bail us out?).

In any case, which services do they intend to cut? Education--to punish the children who had no choice to come here and make sure they stay poor? Or health care--to just let people die? Or maybe jails--to just let criminals roam on the streets? All of those choices seem immoral and counter-productive to me.

Punishing unpopular minorities is common in times of hardship. It happened during the last great depression, and we shouldn't start down that road again.

(For those of you that advocate deportation, remember that this is and article about California, which, as a state, has no such authority.)

[Ya basta]

Is the sky blue? Of course the illegals are a drag on California. Maybe even its ultimate downfall. Much of their income is gained under the table so no payroll or income tax is collected. The schools must slow down the curricula because children of illegals are way behind legal students in language, comprehension,and analytical skills. Illegals choose to send billions back home their home countries rather than buy health insurance in this country thus they end up overwhelming hospital emergency rooms and clinics. Illegals are unaware of many of our laws and customs and show no inclination to learn. Rather they would self segregate in their own communities and continue speaking a foreign language. Illegals are a disaster for law enforcement as they engage in criminal activity way beyond any proportion to legal residents (drunk driving for example) LEOs are frequently prohibited from IDing and reporting illegals. Cheap labor is anything but cheap. Repeal the 14th amendment. No citizenship by birth. If parents are illegal, their kids are as well. YA BASTA NO PASARAN! DEPORT 20 million ilegals ? SI SE PUEDE!

[tloera]

i hate illegal immigration. it takes away from tax paying citizens. takes health care costs, jobs and everything we tax paying citizens are entitiled to. if ur gonna pan handle, sell hot dogs, ice cream, corn, whatever it is, pay taxes on it....help out the city u take away from.

[asdkfj]

I know several illegal immigrants that actually file taxes that is money they may never get back. What most people dont think about is the long run when you think short term you may end up losing so it's best to think long term.

[FRANCISCO RODRIGUZ]

you know what if you want to really fix the immigration status here in california the issue is really why arent there licences issued instead when it improves peoples driving and prevent accidents and ofcourse raise lisence fees...its all easy but of course there are those who think that they where here before us .....when in reality we are the first founders the indigenous people, my people...

[Jojay7]

Yes it is, as an American citizen and graduate Los Angeles Trade Tech college...I am having a hard time even getting a chance in a system which does not recognize the legal right to work. It is argued that Americans do not want these jobs, but that is simply not true. What is the case is that employers want a sub-standard citizen who lacks the rights Americans possess. Illegal workers are more attractive because they can be bullied into acccepting less than the law allows. It is not anti-immigrant to express this reality, and it is not in America's interest to ignore it's citizens.

[Schigolch]

If Proposition 187 had been upheld, this whole budget crisis would never have happened.

[Wilson Johnson]

It's time to bring the illegals out of the dark ages and let them return to their home country to apply for a visa.

[fleiter]

This illegal aliens pay taxes trope is getting old. They actually get tax rebates and since they do most of their business in cash in an underground economy, they can easily cheat the taxman. If you want to solve California's economic problems. Enact Prop 187 and lower the ridiculous pensions paid to state employees, and the budget deficit will end.

[tom clark]

Trust me on this, I live in Kansas City,Ks. and we are having the same problem as with alot of states. We also have a illegal population and when you try and say or do something the person who is voicing his or her comments they are the ones that are getting nothing BUT the illegal population get everything handed to them on a silver plate. I live on a 603.00 per month income plus I take care of my disabled sister, i tried to get help with the state and I got nothing but when an illegal goes and tried to get something from the state they get everything(money,food stamps, and medical). So witch is fair a person who has been born and raised in the USA of the illegal population???

[Jose]

How can anyone take the LA Times serious on the subject of illegal aliens when it has been on a mission for the last 15 years to seek AMNESTY for criminals that broke into our country, took millions of jobs from Americans by working for half the wages, flooded our schools to the point they look like Third World rejects, filled our cities and towns with Drug dealing murdering, raping, child molesting gangs. Brought diseases here that we haven't seen in 100 years or NEVER, and made it difficult to speak our own language in everyday life.

LA City alone has a estimated 1 million or more illegal aliens from around the world...esp. Mexico.

Your readers aren't as stupid as you hope or pretend they are.

California is facing an invasion of no less than 5-6 million illegal aliens sucking the life out of our State and our pocketbooks!

[sean murray]

Illegal Mexicans have been draining this state a nd nation for the past 20 years. The explosian in the prison population and the gang activity so overwhelms the miniscule positive effect of the illegals. We should deny citizenship to the offspring of illegals, even that has become part of an organized agenda to fleece the American taxpayer,with mexicans sneaking over here just to give birth and bastard kids become eligible for the benifits.

[zeezil]

FRAUD & ABUSE: EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT BY UNLAWFUL IMMIGRANTS

Your U.S. Congress participates in and supports one of THE most fraudulent taxpayer abuse schemes ever concocted within the Federal Government. It’s time the administration put its foot down rather than allow millions of unlawful immigrants to step onto American soil—while soaking billions out of the U.S. Treasury.

Since the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) became part of the income tax code in 1975, it has quietly become the largest cash transfer program in the United States. At a cost of more than $44 billion per year, EITC spending dwarfs that of the traditional welfare program—Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)—and food stamps combined. More than 23 million households currently receive the credit.

Edwin Rubenstein exposed one of the most dramatic tax frauds ever on the American taxpayer: “Defrauding the American taxpayer,” “The Earned Income Tax Credit and Illegal Immigration - A Study in Fraud, Abuse, and Liberal Activism.”…see http://www.newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frosty478.htm for more.

[zeezil]

Have you heard the saying, when California sneezes, the rest of the country catches the flu? Generally what starts in California eventually spreads to the rest of the country. That is, unless a state takes measures to resist it. Unless every state realistically tackles illegal immigration by instituting Comprehensive Immigration ENFORCEMENT, which California has refused to do, this is what you can expect:

As of 2006, California contained greater than 25% of the total illegal alien population within the U.S. Many of these illegals concentrate in Los Angeles. New statistics from the Department of Public Social Services reveal that illegal aliens and their families in Los Angeles County collected over $37 million in welfare and food stamp allocations in November 2007 – up $3 million dollars from September. Twenty five percent of the all welfare and food stamps benefits are going directly to the children of illegal aliens. Illegals collected over $20 million in welfare assistance for November 2007 and over $16 million in monthly food stamp allocations for a projected annual cost of $444 million. “This new information shows an alarming increase in the devastating impact Illegal immigration continues to have on Los Angeles County taxpayers,” said Antonovich, LA County Supervisor. “With $220 million for public safety, $400 million for healthcare, and $444 million in welfare allocations, the total cost for illegal immigrants to County taxpayers far exceeds $1 billion a year – not including the millions of dollars for education.”

Just keep in mind that the $37 million a month is for only one county in one state and is only welfare and foodstamp benefits. It doesn't include hospital care, education, fraud, wage depression, crime, depreciation of housing values, the portion of bad loans given to illegal aliens by banks, insurance costs and the myriad of other burdensome expenses that illegal aliens put on the backs of American citizens. There are 29 sanctuary cities in California and because of that there should be little wonder why so many illegal aliens stay in this state. They basically operate with impunity and even if they get arrested for a serious crime there is little chance of them being deported. They can sign up for welfare and food stamps with no questions asked and the hospitals provide them with free care as long as there are still emergency rooms that can’t turn them away for lack of funds. All things considered, California has rolled out the welcome mat for them.

Is there any wonder that California is right now in a fiscal crisis emergency with a budget deficit greater than $14 billion and growing? Reliable estimates calculate illegal aliens cost the state $10.5 billion each year! Why not cut all public services to those not in the U.S. legally? Just a simple thought on my part that would go a long way to putting California back on its feet.

[107gxxve]

SAY HELLO TO HELL AKA CALIFORNIA

[steve]

I love it when you guys always quote "the pew hispanic center" thats the group that is lobbying for all the illegals! LOL my bad!
Mexico's second highest income is from illegals sending money home! google it! do you understand how really HUGE that is?? how many of them MUST be here illegally to make that happen?? 12 million? HA! more like 40 million?? we are being invaded, without one shot being fired! does anybody have a CLUE?? whos job it is to protect and defend the United States?? to ABIDE by the CONSTITUTION???? what does it mean? to break the law? why all the infighting? they broke the LAW! period! google "operation w*tback" Eisenhower had this very same problem. he quietly and EFFECTIVLY took care of it! why can we not do the same??? they walked, rode, swam over here. they can do the same going home taking their anchor babies with them! and then, if they want. they can GET IN LINE. like all the rest of the "LAW ABIDING " people that do it the RIGHT WAY!!!

[Joseph D]

Our county has helped several illegals "immigrate" to California to get them off our dole. I hope CA will continue to love and support illegals. Then more will leave our state.

Illegal immigrants should be rounded up in the US and deported. Any who return should be put in prison for 10 years. This should be war. But many in places like CA don't care if they loose jobs to illegals.

[ricardo Guerra]

Take all illegal immigrants away and see what happens to our economy. You are going to have people washing their own cars, mowing their own grass, picking their own vegetables on plantations, I can go on and on. Illegal immigrants "do" pay taxes so if anyone insist on arguing that illegal immigrants are taking a free ride on the California Social Services Roller coaster you are wrong.

[DonJMac]

THI IS SUCH A STUPID QUESTION I'LL USE OULY TWO WORDS TO RESPOND,,,,,,,, HELLLL YESSSS !

YOU,YOU, DUMMIES

[Erik Self]

......it sure isn't helping....one bit !

[Erik Self]

It,s unfathomable that we would pay welfare to illegal aliens who have children in California --talk about a magnet to draw more lets all take our children to california or just go have them there then they will be paid for..how stupid are we in California???

[j carter]

The statements made concerning illegal immigrants paying taxes is dubious at best. There are 2 main reasons employers hire illegal immigrants. First they work cheap and secondly, many employers pay these people cash under the table. These employers pay no social security or any other payroll taxes thereby increasing their profits. The American taxpayer is not being informed on how much this underground worker system is costing us.

[Gritsforbreakfast]

On the positive side of the ledger, beyond taxes, you're ignoring the economic growth benefits from recent immigration. Illegal immigrants doing day labor, for example, aren't taking jobs from Americans, they're creating small businesses for the guys in pickup trucks who come hire them and couldn't operate with fixed overhead, paying benefits, etc.. Also, for those who favor mass deportations, reducing CA's population by such a large amount would reduce demand for business services, products, etc., in a dramatic way that would tank the economy even worse. That's basic, Keynesian, demand-side economics.

The logic of free markets applies equally to labor markets, and we benefit much more than we've been harmed by Latin American immigration, both legal and illegal.

[troy]

Well, here comes another wave of LA Times inspired cyber nastiness. Teachers, Michael Jackson... now it's the illegals' time to get blog massacred.

[Liz]

Lets say there are 1 house for every 20 illegal immigrants, I mean you know that 20 illegals can live in one house, right? Then 1 out of every 5 has a car to drive to work. Never mind that in the first place that they shouldnt even have a car since they cant have driver's licenses. The sales taxes? They send their money home, how much sales taxes are in there? Its time to change the constitution., If you cant provide legal papers why are you here? Then the hospitals shouldnt give your kid US citizenship. I AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF PAYING FOR THESE PEOPLE, IN CASE you havent noticed the tax paying people is leaving california, now you wonder where did the money go?

[John]

LA has in many areas become a vast Latin American slum. Does anyone really want that except certain politicians who find a captive voting block in their US born children and certain professionals like Times writer, Anna Gorman,who owe their career to promoting illegal immigration.

[Jon]

The truth is that no one knows the real number of illegals in the USA. But according to the Pew Hispanic Research Center that number is between 12 and 20 million. The estimated net cost after all considerations to tax payers is 65 billion dollars per year.
California and Texas have the largest number of illegals and therefore the largest burden to state tax payers. I have seen estimates in California of 7 billion dollars per year. So it is a fact that the budget crisis is very much related to the illegal immigrant problem.

[chiu]

when legal residents work to pay illegal residents' health care, school, food no matter how you sugar coat it-they pay sales tax... it's wrong. that's why everyone want to come to America. For one thing, they don't pay into medical tax, ss tax....

[Justthetruth]

The article does not cite the works of Harvard Prof. George Borjas, FAIR, or CIS who are all frequently called to testify to Congress. All have shown that illegal immigration presents a large and long-term net liability to California that is estimated to range from $4 to $10 billion annually. Although it is true that a large portion of these costs are federally mandated, these costs can be avoided by simply enforcing existing immigration law via the federal 287g program and by requiring the statewide use of E-verify in employment. If the illegals are not here then the federally mandated costs will not be incurred.

[Billy C. Turner]

Yes, they are worsening California's budget woes. They are illegal, and, as such, they are entitled to absolutely nothing. Regarding the children of illegals who are born in the United States aren't entitled to anything either, for they are the "fruits of the poisonous tree". This issue is indeed ripe for consideration by the US Supreme Court. Legally premised is that evidence obtained from an illegal search and seizure is tainted and is therefore inadmissible in a court of law. That same legal principle holds true for those children of illegals who are born here in the US. They are the fruits of the poisonous tree. Illegals are receiving welfare, free education, and other subsidies that are being paid for by the people of the State of California. Teresa Watanabe's and Anna Gorman's article is long overdue. Yes, they can be cut off from receiving welfare, and it would survive legal challenges. The question begs to be asked, "Who will be brave enough to present this to the court?"

[Adam Vant]

California has 12% of the country's population and 30% of the country's welfare cases. How much welfare is going to illegal aliens? Stop providing services to non-citizens who clog our schools and overrun our hospital emergency rooms, and who then march in our streets waving Mexican flags while arrogantly demanding rights and privileges to which they're not entitled.

[barf]

prop 187 was intended to stop illegals from this problem. but thanks to the 9th circuit we have nothing but illegals filling emergency rooms for colds, roads filled with illegals without licenses, and insurance, schools with a dropout rate of 60%, gangs of all sorts, and the list goes on.

stop all services and make their anchor children invalid,arrest and deport. i dont care if they are from latin world or euro world, if you are illegal you need to be deported now......... you are a felon and dont deserve amnesty..........

but let the left wing zealots rule the conversation , and latimes be afraid of telling the real story of the impact in all areas of the illegals.................

[Pa]

Immigration illegal and legal has bankrupted the state. California can no longer afford to house anymore people we just don't have the resources it is as simple as that.

[Joe goldenstein]

Duuhhh
Even the question is pathetic.
So let me get this straight. California's economy is based on the fact that illegals pay taxes so we should provide services to them and bankrupt ourselves doing so...I'm going to set fire to myself right now

[Truth]

Yes...they are a drag on the economy and a public danger. From public health to economics, there is almost nothing that illegal immigration doesn't affect negatively.

[oh snap]

Most of the cost associated with illegal immigrants stems from the criminalization of immigrants. Creating better immigration forms will not only lead to a short term surplus but will also lead to a long term economic growth not only for Cali but also Nation wide.

[mitsu]

I say stop paying them.
Illegal is what it means.
Although they came across in the night,and had children here,I say the kids are also illegal.

[Sheryl USA CITIZEN Mich]

I believe that ALL the Illegals here and caught and/or jailed should be sent back to their own country. A way to do this is, that the Illegals own govt should be contacted and told to come pick their person up, and this is to include their family, and it would mean that their govt would pay the expense of taking the Illegals back, and out of the hands and expense of the United States.

[Beverly Glen]

Hey, wait a minute, if we send all the Mexicans back, who's going to mow my lawn and clean my house? (We used to have illegal Czech housekeepers, but they didn't clean as well.)

And, by the way, has anyone noticed lately at who is running LA CIty??? Almost totally Hispanic with a few token African-Americans.

[D G]

Ya think?

How could it not be a drag? The only way immigration helps is if immigration creates a net increase in tax revenues beyond their tax consumption. Can anyone honestly think that this is the situation with Mexican immigrants? It costs $10 thousand a year to put a kid in school. A trip to ER is $750 min. A manual laborer MIGHT contribute $3 thousand a year to the tax base, if they actually pay taxes, which everyone, including the employer, are encouraged to avoid.
I am not picking on Mexico. It would happen to any country that was within walking distance, and economically beneath us.
If you are legally here and give a rip about your future, you will do the tough thing and send illegals home, and demand that Mexico help their own. There are 6 Billion people on the planet, most of them poor. We can't help them all. It is basic math.

[Paul Chapman]

In your news report you talk about taxes paid by illegals and you say, "property taxes, if they own homes." If they own homes? If they rent, will the property owner just assume his cost of property taxes and not charge the rentor for this cost? Of course not. I have heard this same charge leveled at rentors while discussing school taxes. Rentors pay property taxes. The tax bill is not in their name, but rentors do pay property taxes.

[Citizen]

GET RID OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS! That is what needs to happen to save this state!
Save our taxes; and save our jobs!

[ThisAmerican]

I can't believe people are SO ignorant as to think the illegals pay "sales tax" so that makes their existence okay. Paying sales tax on purchases obtained with a welfare check is NOT paying sales tax at all. All social services of any kind, save education, need to be IMMEDIATELY cut for illegal aliens and their children. Go to TaxpayerRevolutiondotorg for more info. I am gathering signatures to deny benefits to illegals via their "citizen" children who in FACT are not automatic citizens. IF the children are NOT citizens, the whole damn family CANNOT obtain benefits, like they do today. First step, STOP birthright citizenship. CUT all benefits currently received by the families of "anchor babies" and they WILL self deport. Welfare jackpots are coming to an end. so ADIOS.

[Citizen]

We cannot afford to continue to give state aid, of any kind, to people who broke our laws willingly! I will not ever vote for more taxes to support any illegal alien!

The state of California provides services to illegal aliens above and beyond what is required by federal law.
In a study on the impact of illegal immigration on the state of California done by FAIR in 2004, the estimated population of 2.8 million illegal immigrants then living in California cost the state's taxpayers an estimated $10.54 billion a year, nearly half of the current budget deficit! This amount has only increased as the illegal immigrant population is now estimated to be 3.2 million, a 10% increase above the 2004 estimate.

The fiscal costs of illegal immigration do not end with major cost areas of education; incarceration, Welfare, Health Care; Home subsidies; the total costs of illegal immigration to the state’s taxpayers would be considerably higher if other cost areas such as special English instruction, school feeding programs, or welfare benefits FOR AMERICAN WORKERS displaced by illegal alien workers were added into the equation!

The state legislature could save money and still protect the people of California by eliminating benefits for illegal aliens.

[jggrimm]

-"...California has roughly 2.7 million illegal residents, about 7% of the state’s population. State officials estimate that they add between $4 billion and $6 billion in costs, primarily for prisons and jails, schools and emergency rooms..."

Now let me think a minute. 7% of the population, here against our laws, by official state accounts cost 4 to 6 billions dollars annually in... here it comes now, from our LA Times report... primarily for PRISONS and JAILS, SCHOOLS and EMERGENCY ROOMS.

And the question is: "Is Illegal Immigration Worsening California's Budget Woes?" Are we supposed to answer that with a straight face? 7% of the population is presently accountable for 25% of the state budget deficit. Multiply the numbers, fairly, by ten, a decade. Uncompensated expenditures accumulate. Debt adds up, too.

We force out wealth creating business people and invite the money takers, of all origins, and we wonder why we are broke. The revenue generators move out. The welfare state moves in. Why are we broke? Are you serious?

[Earl Thomas]

The majority of people in Calif. and the United States are against illegal immigration,but our elected officials do not have the guts to address this issue. They are afraid of offending the 'hispanic lobby' ands losing votes. Is it the illegal aliens fault that the state is in such a mess? No. But do they greatly add to the problem? YES! Deport not Reward! Repeal the 14th Ammendment , cut all services and vote out any elected officials who thinks it is alright to fund their crimminality, because by definition their being here makes them all crimminals.

[Dreadnok4life]

To call Hispanics a minority in California is a joke. They are the MAJORITY! At least everywhere south of Santa Barbara they are. I grew up in Downey and now when I go back there to visit EVERYONE is speaking Spanish. I went into a Denny's and not one person was speaking English, except for the waitress who spoke it poorly.

I'm not a racist, but one would have to be blind to see what is going on. Americans generally speak English, Mexicans generally speak Spanish.. DO THE MATH!

So to answer the question, absolutely they are a huge factor in the destruction of California and it's economy. Honestly try going to the E.R. in Downey, or Long Beach, or Santa Ana and tell me the illegal uninsured patients aren't causing a major drain on our resources.

[steinerla]

The article mentioned illegal immigrants paying property tax if they own a house. How is that possible? Don't you have to have a valid social security number to buy a house?

[Tupac Goldstein]

Immigration is a FEDERAL responsibility. It makes sense that the FEDERAL government should reimburse dollar for dollar on funds spent on those who have entered our country without inspection. But, big surprise, they haven't and they won't. In fact, Barack Obama deleted a provision in his budget that would have provided a few pennies on the dollar to help pay for aliens in prison. California is on her own.

[MSmith]

The sooner we allow illegals to become citizens the sooner they'll be able to contribute fully to our society. The real question is why is it taking our legislators so long to make this happen? I'm not for illegal immigration but the fact is they're here and we cannot afford to deport them. If we did deport them the result would be far more devastating then making them citizens.

[Go Ahead DO IT]

Go ahead, do it, blame the undocumented again. This would be the fourth or fifth time in my lifetime that the most vulnerable in our society get blamed for the ills of the most powerful. Bush and Cheney created this financial mess - conservative Republicans - yet these same conservatives blame the most defenseless - AGAIN.

But if history is to repeat itself, let it be done the way Prop. 187 did it - by spurring the registration of millions of Latinos to vote. We need a good kick in the ass every now and then to get us going. A Latino mayor in L.A., a near plurality of Latino representation in Sacramento and Latinos now on the President' cabinet - all a result of Pete Wilson's conservative wedge politics. The Republican Party hasn't and will never recover.

So go ahead, do us the favor, the result will probably be a Latino governor if not president.

[MaryJ]

Give me a break. I am a native-born, life-long Californian. Yes, I remember the glory days of Pat Brown and the economic powerhouse and quality of life paradise that California was in the 1960s-early 70s. Then came the illegal invasion and it's been downhill all the way. If these illegals are so "enriching" then why was our state a paradise before they came, and a hideous Third World dump afterward? They cost us revenue in more ways than one: unpaid taxes due to working under the table, overburdening our social services and infrastructure, and, because they lower the quality of life in the state so much, they also PUSH OUT TAXPAYING American citizens who can't abide the Third World atmosphere they create. We are losing 300K TAXPAYING EDUCATED citizens per year to other states, and have been for years because of the illegals. And Jackie, yes, you are correct, Californians do not want to pay for social services and other freebies for illegals. They were forced on us and we never had a chance to say whether or not we wanted to support them. Oh wait, we DID say in 1994 that we didn't want to support them anymore with our tax dollars, and guess what, bleeding heart morons like yourself conspired with the Mexican government to overturn our democratic vote.

[Timothy O'Rourke]

Of course Illegals have bankrupt California and the national health care and social services. Politicians don't want to alienate all those voters. So denial is the cowardly and selfish normal stance. Politicians don't stand on principals for what best for Americans, it's always what's best for their personal agendas.

[Jojo]

Have those illigal immigrant paid foreigner education fee just like those people come in legally as foreigner. If they want to become legal citizen, have them make up the tax they didn't pay for those year they stay in CA. Form what I know INS only have them pay 700 dollars to become legal status if they are iellegal before then marry to US citizen or greencard. 700 is too cheap almost everyone can affored it. 700 exchange for citizenship and socail benefit is not compartable. Don't offer then any free benefit. Charge them as foreign student fee. I guarante most of them will not come anymore because deucation is no longer free.

[pkr]

One must remember that Illegal immigrants typically send a large portion of their money back to Mexico to support family there. This money is not circulating in the Californian economy, and it is devastating to our economy. One would assume that welfare monies are also being sent down south. We need to find a solution to this problem as obviously we cannot afford to do this--whether it is welfare monies or untaxed wages--this is money leaving our system.

[AdoptiveFather, Los Angeles CA]

Want to know how illegal aliens buy houses????

Google:

"Banks Open Doors To Illegal Immigrants"

Wall Street Journal tells you how back in 2005step by step and even gives you the contact info to get started.

[AdoptiveFather, Los Angeles CA]

California has roughly 2.7 million illegal residents, according to an April 2009 report from the authoritative Pew Hispanic Center, accounting for about 7% of the state's population.
If you do the math of 8 billion barrels of oil consumed annually by 300 million people in the US, you arrive at 27 barrels of oil per person per year to support the American way of life.

So, if there are 2.7 million illegal aliens in California alone, those illegal aliens have oil demand of almost 73 million barrels of oil per year or just under 200,000 barrels per day.

Given that California oil production for 2008 per Department of Energy data also provided below was 620,000 barrels of oil per day, one can conclude that illegal aliens are consuming 32.25% of California's current oil production but represent only 7% of the population.

And we have a problem because California's oil production is factually declining, last year US production in total dropped by just under 2%, while one can safely assume that California's illagal alien population is still climbing.

California onshore oil production 2003-2008:

California
685 656 631 612 594 586

I am very interested in your commentary on this issue regarding a CRITICAL resource.

I am also interested in the LA Times opinion of resource demands for other critical resources such as water etc.


8,000,000,000 US Oil Demand
300,000,000 US population
27 barrels per person per year

2,700,000 CA Illegal alien population
27 Oil per person per year
72,900,000 Total oil per year
365 days per year
199,726 Daily oil production

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_crpdn_adc_mbblpd_a.htm

[QUIGLIES]

WOW, LISTEN TO THESE AMERICANS
OUR GOVERNMENT HAS FORSAKEN US,
WHEN WE THE PEOPLE ALL BELIEVE THE SAME ABOUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST INVASIONS ON OUR SHORES AND BORDERS
AND WE THE PEOPLE ARE SO WEAK. GOD SAVE AMERICA.
BEN FRANKLIN WOULD BE CALLING FOR REVOLUTION AGAIN!!!

[DonJMac]

•Anyone born inside the United States, PART OF THE 14th
AMMENDMENT,, (ANYONE) NOT (EVERYONE), REPEAL THIS
OR CORRECT THE WORDS, TO SAY WHAT THEY MEAN
AND MEAN WHAT THEY SAY,,,,,THEN AGAIN ILLEGAL DON'T
MEAN ILLEGAL IN LOS ANGELES, YOU,YOU,,DUMMIES

[StopUSAGiveaway]

It amazes me that as an American citizen having family here l2 that is TWELVE generations: I have as my family has abided by our laws. Yet, I am documented and databased but the "ILLEGALs" not immigrants are hiding in the shadows.
Then why is the cost to print to interpret doubled for ILLITERATE ILLEGALS and paid for by law abidng Americans?
The LAT Statistics: are wrong.
If you look at the annual intake of NUMBERS into the USA:
overstays by foreign students(those who supposedly caused 9 11) and all others; know ea foreign student brings a female end of tribmester to birth! YOU PAY FOR her and it! so they can receive a SS#
Annually we take in over 7-8M: illegals birthrates are ten times Americans that is what they brag about to takeover see Jose Angel Gutierrez
LA is 80% illegals
Illegals beget Illegals: we don't even have US physicians
Upside down and fed deceitful lies
UNFUNDED MANDATES tell gov Bill Mexico, Guate, Etc or give up yours/child organs/

[mark]

The numbers you write about are understated. The numbers of illegals are larger and so is the cost. The argument that they pay taxes is a fallicy. They are paying taxes on jobs here that taxes would be paid on anyway. However, illegals send money back to their country and thus we have less taxes paid on those jobs. Mexico gets the money and sales taxes. If we got rid of illegals, our quality of life will increase dramatically. One point in the article states illegals children will get educated and better jobs. They will be taking me kids jobs and your kids jobs in their future.

[Sethers]

I am pretty sure that cutting off welfare to children born in the US is unconstitutional and will not hold up in court, not to mention that it is morally irreprehensible.

[CB]

Great comments. Illegals are a huge part of the problem. The government did not want to do anything about it and, while the economy was good, they got away with it. Now we're in a situation where we do not have enough resources to take care of our own. So, very simply, we cannot continue to provide for those who broke federal laws to come here and take advantage of American generosity. They need to take their children, regardless of where the children were born, and go home. To the places they always call "my country" in conversation -- and they are never referring to the USA. Cutting off benefits would go a long way towards getting them to self-deport. We need to do that immediately.

[Andrews]

The Illegal Alien mother in the article collects about $3000.00
a month tax free in welfare and food stamps with four
children and no father present , three were born in the USA ,fathered by someone ,probably another illegal alien.
Is it any wonder that California has become the
Promised Land for illegal aliens and a place that is more
Anti American and Pro Mexico in spite of what the
overwhelming majority of Legal Citizens want, which
is NO AMNESTY!
numbersusa.com
capsweb
alipac
saveourstate
CCIR

[Born to undocumented parents]

So I guess because I was born to parents who were illegal at the time of my birth - now U.S. citizens - I shouldn't be considered an American citizen right? Because my parents were illegal at the time, that means I shouldn't have been allowed to go to school, get a college education, graduate cum laude with a BA, get a job and be a responsible American citizen who votes, pay taxes and has never been on any kind of government service like welfare?

[Erik Kengaard]

The US Code uses the term alien.
Its not only unauthorized aliens, its aliens who were authorized under the false promise that they would not be a welfare burden. Over TWO MILLION students in Los Angeles County are children of "immigrant" LOWER INCOME families. Look it up. Do you think those students costs are covered by the taxes their parents pay?
By the way, Californians contributed to the immigration burden by sending democrats to congress.

[KK]

Politicians are covering the ass for not conforting this problem. Illegals applies to all nationalities not Latinos alone. Illegals do not pay income taxes. Get real. Whites, blacks and asians are now a minority but funds the majority of the state $$.

[loulou]

Payaxes. Guess what, they calim the child tax on their income taxes and get a whole lot more back then they paid in. I also was reading the new 8500.00 federal housing tax credit, and guess what it seem sit is OK if you are illegal -you can get the credit. This is how this whole mess with the housing industry started and they are doing it all over again. We will have another housing crisis because everybody and their mother can get into a house with a little bit of money and the tax credit. Illegal aliens are laughing out loud on how they can so easily rip off the American taxpayer. We are losing more lives at the hands of illegal aliens then we do in the war This is pure insanity. The politicians want to let everyone stay because they can hide in their gated and protected lives from the daily turmoil we live with caused by illegal aliens. Join numbersusa, CAPS, take at look at the Outargaed patriots site for how these people are doing jobs Americans wont do-like raping, murdeing our children and families. People have to rise up and stop this insanity. This country is in no position to help anyone and if we can in the future we need to help people in their own country to make their lives better there. If an amnesty passes we will lose all open spaces as population is continuing to soar. Having cars that use less fuel is silly when you will have millions of new drivers on the road.

[Sham]

@CL, ignorance can take you a long way in the wrong direction, working in the medical field I can tell with a great deal of certainty that illegal immigrants get tax payer funded medical services beyond the emergency room. Check CDP. Illegal immigrants can get Medi-Cal, Food stamps, and Wic, with the family intact, as long as they have American born children.

You talk about paying taxes, can you be contributing to the tax base, when the money your spending is tax dollars given to you?