Rise in public benefits to children of illegal immigrants in L.A. County has supervisor 'very concerned'

Welfare payments to children of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles County increased in July to $52 million, prompting renewed calls from one county supervisor to rein in public benefits to such families.

The payments, made to illegal immigrants for their U.S. citizen children, included $30 million in food stamps and $22 million from the CalWORKS welfare program, according to Los Angeles County figures released Friday by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

The new figure represents an increase of $3.7 million from July 2009 and makes up 23% of all county welfare and food stamp assistance, according to county records.

Last year, welfare and food stamp issuances totaled nearly $570 million, an amount projected to exceed $600 million this year. In addition, county taxpayers spend $550 million in public safety -- mostly for jail costs -- and nearly $500 million for healthcare for illegal immigrants, Antonovich said.

“The supervisor is very concerned,” said Antonovich spokesman Tony Bell. “He believes we have an economic catastrophe on our hands.”

Shirley Christensen of the county Department of Public Social Services said the number of households with illegal immigrant parents and U.S. citizen children receiving welfare increased by 7% from January to June of this year.

“With the economy the way it is, a lot of people have had to avail themselves of programs they may not have needed before,” Christensen said. “Everyone is taking a hit, including undocumented immigrants.”

Amid continued economic gloom, debate has intensified over the public cost of providing benefits to illegal immigrants and their U.S. citizen children. In recent months, calls have grown for a constitutional amendment that would effectively deny citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants, whose numbers have increased from 2.7 million in 2003 to 4 million in 2008, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

At present, U.S. citizenship is automatically granted to children born on U.S. soil. Last month, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced he might introduce a constitutional amendment to deny citizenship to children of illegal immigrants. Antonovich and several legal scholars, however, argue that a federal statute is sufficient to change the law.

But even some immigration hawks are wary of such a move. Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based research organization that supports immigration restrictions, said ending birthright citizenship would hurt children for their parents' misdeeds, require new federal registration systems and create other problems. The ultimate solution, he said, is to continue driving down illegal immigration with tough enforcement.

-- Teresa Watanabe

Comments

[cjjp]

No kidding! Sherlock Holmes has arrived on the scene! They keep coming, and coming and coming, knowing that they will get all these freebies. And of course, "Es our culshure" to have as many babies as they can possibly crank out, so be sure and get pregnant as young as possible.

For those of who get paid by the government, and keep having your paychecks and hours cut, just think how much money would be freed up if you cut the umbilical cord to these leeches.

I am a self-employed, hard working American Citizen, and I RESENT my hard-earned tax money going to these people who disrepect our laws, culture and history, refuse to assimilate, refuse to speak English, and intend to overwhelm and plunder our country, and turn the Greatest Nation in the World into the 3rd-world hell-hole that they came from.

[citizen]

Why you pulled your article out quickly??? omg!

[Matt]

Its about time someone got concerned . Our pockets are empty from all that waist of money spent on illegals, we can't even take care of our own, not to mention all the money waisted on Iraq and just how grateful are they now? Complaining, That's right! They are complaining. After, over 114million plus, all the lives lost. When are we going to wake up and start taking care of the US and the people that have lived and died for it. I know I'm not the only American that has served his country and didn't die in vain for it. Out of respect for all that have, we need to secure our borders and get on with making our country prosper for our future generations. Not anyone else's. Enough is enough!

[rgw]

How do u know they are illegal,,if you ask for id..you will be sued by Gov..check AZ..and if your not I will inform AZ. for ya...double standard..oh---forgot politician and politician appointed officials..they are BRAINLESS..sorry--keep forgetting

[Josh Ooi]

What else is new? This recession is going to dig up a lot of dirt that has been swept under the carpet for years. We should increased the taxes on all public sector .. that is right tax our money back to pay for all these. They are overpaid and not doing their job at all.. yet we cannot even fire anyone of them or even layoff without giving them high compensation.

This is ridiculous. If illegal immigration lovers like them then they should support them then the rest of us who is against illegal immigrants.

[Los Angelino for Los Angeles Citizens!]

How does $600 MILLION bucks a year spent on the illegal children of illegal, law-breaking welfare cheat "immigrants" compare to our public health system's budget? How about the police and fire department budgets? Who and What has had to be cut to the bone, to come up with this enormous illegal expenditure every year, on these 4 MILLION ILLEGAL sneak-across-the-border NON-Citizens?

[Los Angelino for Los Angeles Citizens!]

Total cost in Los Angeles County ALONE for Government spending on ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS in 2010: $ ONE BILLION Six Hundred Fifty MILLION:
$1,650,000,000. 00

And that is just from these three categories alone -- think of all the other services, education, housing subsidies, Section 8, etc. that TAXPAYERS ;pay for in LA County:

(1) Over $600 MILLION in 2010 on WELFARE AND FOOD STAMP issuances, up from $570 million in 2009 !
(2) $550 MILLION in PUBLICD SAFETY -- mostly for JAIL COSTS for ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS !
(3) $500 million for HEALTHCARE for ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

[cantfeedemdontbreedem]

Go down to Macarthur Park or Sixth St and Union, you'll see 75% of women of child-bearing age are pushing a few in a stroller, and have one in the oven.
It's so obvious the MO of illegals, as soon as they step foot on California soil-MUST GET PREGNANT!!!!!
If many of the residents of LA were exposed to the sight of pregnant illegals with many children in tow, the reality might hit them a little harder, but you can only see this in poorer neighborhoods-many residents just stay in their insular wealthier neighborhoods, and pay little attention.
There are no drawbacks to breed breed breed in this county or state for that manner-it's an incentive to people who want more free food and money.
It's a disgrace!

[PGelsman]

Unbelievable! Well , you want them here, now pay for them! You reap what you sow.

[jagexxx]

Must feel like winning the lottery - poor, uneducated people making babies and being supported by the Government...but not their OWN government.

[Casey in Tucson]

Posted by: Maury | September 03, 2010 at 03:55 PM

“He believes we have an economic catastrophe on our hands.”

Really, you don't say? Where do they find these geniuses? And these are the clowns getting paid six figure salaries to come up with these conclusions? They need to clean house and put some competent people in there to run this state.

--------

Maury, give credit where credit is due. I spent many hours this afternoon trying to find any other elected official anywhere in the country, offering such basic numbers; obviously, I was hoping I could access something similar for my county (Pima, in AZ, which has the highest # of border crossers these days).

Credit him more for expressing concern.

It takes political courage to stand against the storm, and your Supervisor Antonovich has it.

Sure wish I could say that about any Arizona politicians - I had been about Gov Brewer and Sheriff Arpaio, but they both have their brains and/or butts in hot water this week, and deservedly so (to my dismay).

[4Real]

When are we as a country going to join the rest of the world on immigration? I know our fourfathers were illegal, and that the US is a melting pot for immigration, but - - - if you are in any other country, legaly or illegaly, and have a child that child is a citizen of the parents country, not the country it's born in. We don't deport illegal parents because that would break up a family, so we choose to support the US born child. That's a joke. Do you really think all the money goes to the kid? Yeah, like all child support goes to the kid!!!

[onnie thomason]

why are all the gov. representatives so spineless' illegal is illegal right is right and wrong is wrong i thought you need an education to hold office go back to school and learn the american constitutional laws no where does it say bury like a dumb bird and we wonder why califiornia is broke all of you tree huggers and koolaide drinkers should be happy with yourselves stop the bleeding pack your bags with your faimly and friends along with all the illegals and leave our country be apart of the solution not the problem

[maandrews]

The Outlaw Illegal Alien and Gang Capital Sanctuary county of Los Angeles in decline, dystopia and near bankruptcy may be past reclaiming as the remaining population ends up as a small % of very rich and the rest poor and poorer living on welfare!

[Nyteknight]

Cut them off...and send 'em back.

I'm a single mother, victim of the wonderful LAUSD lay offs, born citizen of two born citizen parents and a grandmother who immigrated here LEGALLY and obtained her citizenship...and I'm not eligible for any type of government assistance. Apparently my 400 bucks a week in unemployment is too much income but if my last name was "Lopez" and I didn't speak English, betcha I would receive those benefits regardless of how much I make in UI.

The citizens that are paying into the system by their taxes need that assistance that's goign to illegal anchor babies that don't pay taxes. I have nothing against immigration but do so legally.

[Mufon]

What's the big deal. Just raise taxes on the middle class, as has been past practice.

[RWh]

There has to be consequences for an illegal action. Anchor babies are seen as a guarantee to be able to stay in the U.S., after all, how could those heartless Americans separate a family.
Well, each time we have to write another property tax check to pay for the anchor babies and their parents, our heart hardens.
Some say we are racist because we say it is not fair that we have to support foreign nationals. Try putting away the racist card and realize that foreigners who come here illegally and legally do not have an automatic right to put their hands into our pockets as they do now.

[Hypatia]

He JUST noticed this? Where they hell has he been the past 30 years? Oh yeah, sucking up to rich people and ignoring the porous border. Just like the rest of California. *headdesk*

[Cathy]

This is not theft. The children are citizens, and these program are set up to help low-income citizens, including citizen children whose parents are not here legally.

The story doesn't tell you that the amount of the welfare and food stamps is reduced for families in this situation so the amount is only calculated for the LEGAL children, and there is no amount included for the undocumented parents. Meaning, these families are receiving less than a family with citizen parents would.

[peter]

CA has for too long allowed illegals to roam freely, and freeload on the state's welfare programs thru their anchors. No other country allows foreign nationals to enter illegally thru our open borders so easily as the US does. Here illegals are allowed to run free in the streets, commit massive ID/ doc fraud and SS theft in obtaining jobs, and engage in wholesale criminal activities such as drug/human smuggling, auto insurance fraud, EITC fraud, mortage fraud, medi-cal fraud, bogus 'civil rights' lawsuit fraud, ect.
That time has come to and end with US in bad recession/ depression, and official UE at 10 %(CA at 13%), real U-6 UE at 17%(CA at 20+%). Americans are demanding that the drawbridge be raised and there be a complete moratorium to any more immigration, legal and illegal, till the UE rate dips to under 6%. Obama Adm is deporting at rate of close to 400,000 per year: we need to deport a million/2 miilion a year till 20-30 million UE/underemployed American citizens are put back to work. "

[peter]

Illegals scam the State out of billions in taxpayer-subsidized health care and contribute nothing in return to their communities. They pay no taxes and send back monies to Mexico yet are recipients of billions in free CA health and education spending, which is wasted upon their kids who have a 50% dropout rate in LA high schools.
If CA quits providing free health care to illegals and stops handing out free benefits they they will get the message and self deport back to Mexico. Mexico simply dumps its poorest into CA so as to get rid of a social unrest problem, and CA receives these poorest of Mexicans, which in turn creates huge vast third-world impoverished slums here in LA.

California the Golden state, American future, is fast becoming the poster child for an bankrupt third world State!

[peter]

To bad that illegals crowd into LA , are without health insurance, yet expect free county health treatment. Life is tough and we have 15-20% % UE in CA, and many US Citizens are without health care coverage and jobs If they have to go into crowded county hospital ER rooms they are pushed back and have to wait 5-10 hrs by uninsured illegal nationals who don' t have health coverage so crowd out american citizens and seniors from county hospitals.
LA is one gigantic, fraud infested, third world Tijuana-style dump where illegals are given sanctuary status and protected so i am not surprised that LA county won't cut back on health treatment to illegals .

[peter]

The Liberal factions which run CA deliberately want as many illegals and their anchor spawn jammed into CA for one reason: POWER. They want and need the votes of the Hispanics and it matters little to them if much of SCal/LA have become vast illegal-alien spawned ghettos infested with illegal-alien spawned gangs and graffiti..

The leftist ,radical 'progressive' state employee public sector unions and their congressional puppets have caused the bankruptcy of Ca., They only stay in power because they have allowed the massive infiltration of illegals into Ca in order to court the hispanic vote, which allows the Sacto/San Francisco-based leftist progressives & state public sector unions in power to stay in power, dominate CA politics and maintain their inflated pensions, which are a prime reason that CA is reeling and bankrupt.

[peter]

CA public unions think they are are impervious from layoffs, furloughs., and pay cuts. CA superior and district appeals court judges are in pockets of CA public unions. No surprise AS CA is run by and controlled by PEUs. They only maintain power because they are allied with the SoCal/LA Latino-labor coalition. The CA PEU's and their puppet CA state politicians allow illegals to overrun the state and steal 10 billion in benefits because they depend on Hispanic votes to keep power. That is why the LA County AFL-CIO sponsored & paid for 11 buses to go to AZ to support pro-illegal alien protesters. CA public unions are greedy, feel entitled, and run CA like a fiefdom, bleeding CA dry of tax $ and refusing to adjust their hrs, pay and benefits even by a little during the worst economic downturn since the great depression..

[will stone]

In most other countries, if a baby is born there and the mother is not a citizen, the baby automatically has the citizenship from the country the MOTHER is from. That is the way it should be here too. CHANGE THE LAW.