THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW

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Arizona Has It Right
By Chuck Baldwin
April 30, 2010

This column is archived at
http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?p=1490

Open borders advocates are livid that the State of Arizona has enacted a new

law authorizing State law enforcement personnel to arrest illegal aliens.

The Reverend Al Sharpton is threatening to march. The mayor of San Francisco

has declared Arizona off limits as a travel destination. The national

government of Mexico has issued travel warnings. President Barack Obama is

contemplating bringing a federal lawsuit against the State. Some are calling

for a boycott of the State.

So, why all the fuss?

The State of Arizona is rightly sick and tired of the federal government's

refusal to protect our nation (and the State of Arizona specifically) from

this foreign invasion that is commonly referred to as "illegal immigration."

In other words, the State of Arizona has said, "If the federal government

won't enforce the law, we will." I say, good for them! Now, the other border

states (Texas, New Mexico, and California) should do the same thing. Arizona

has it right, and the vast majority of the American people know it.

As an aside, if you are considering a visit to the American Southwest this

summer, why not support the brave legislators and governor of Arizona, and

make a point to spend your leisure dollars in Arizona? And when you do,

write a letter to the State capitol and tell them. Even more importantly, I

suggest that everyone contact their own State representatives, senators, and

governors, and urge them to enact a similar law--to the one Arizona

passed--in your State.

And since the national news media refuses to set the record straight on the

subject of illegal immigration (one could even say that the national news

media is deliberately covering up the record), let's do that right here and

now.

First, let's talk about numbers. Even though the Census Bureau (CB)

estimates 11 million illegal aliens live in America, the real numbers are

much higher. Even CB officials admit that many illegal aliens purposely

avoid the census count. A more reliable count is provided by Bear Stearns.

It puts the number of illegal aliens at around 20 million. Former US

Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), who was Chairman of the Congressional

Immigration Reform Caucus, puts the number at over 18 million.

According to Tennesseans for Responsible Immigration Policies (TNRIP), 6,000

immigrants arrive in America EVERY DAY. That equates to more than 2 million

EVERY YEAR. In many communities in the Southwest, including Los Angeles,

California, and Houston, Texas, Hispanics now comprise a majority of the

population. But numbers of illegal aliens are quickly beginning to mount in

cities throughout the United States.

For example, TNRIP documents the fact that the Hispanic population grew in

three Tennessee counties by more than 70% between 2000 and 2004. In one of

those counties (Robertson) it grew over 95% during that time. In seven

Tennessee counties, the Hispanic population grew by more than 40%. Now,

Tennessee can hardly be considered a "border state." The fact is, what is

happening in Tennessee is happening all over the United States. And lest you

think this is all harmless, think again.

According to TNRIP, the financial cost of this foreign invasion to U.S.

taxpayers is staggering! Here is a breakdown of the annual costs:

Education: $22.5 billion

Bi-lingual Education: $3.3 billion

AFDC: $2.4 billion

SSI: $2.9 billion

Social Security: $24.8 billion

Housing Assistance: $2.6 billion

Criminal Justice: $2.6 billion

Jobs Lost by Americans: $10.8 billion

Other Programs: $51.4 billion

Food Stamps: $7 billion

Health Care: $1.4 billion

The first study of the net cost of illegal immigration to American taxpayers

was conducted in 1997 by Dr. Donald Huddle, Professor Emeritus of Economics

at Rice University. This study concluded that from 1970 to 1997, illegal

immigration had cost taxpayers over $69 billion. Obviously, the financial

numbers have exploded since then.

Furthermore, during 1996 alone, more than 2.3 million American workers were

displaced by (mostly) illegal aliens. Harvard Professor George Borjas

estimates that today American workers lose $133 billion per year in wage

depression and job loss.

Back in 2007 it was reported, "LA County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich

announced that a new report shows illegal aliens and their families

collected over $35 million in welfare and food stamp allocations in July.

"In the report, illegals are said to have collected nearly $20 million in

welfare assistance for July 2007 and an additional $15 million in monthly

food stamp allocations for an estimated annual cost of $440 million.

"'Illegal immigration continues to have a devastating impact on Los Angeles

County taxpayers,' said Antonovich. 'In addition to $220 million for public

safety and $400 million for healthcare, the $440 million in welfare

allocations bring the total cost to County taxpayers that exceeds $1 billion

a year--this does not include the skyrocketing cost of education.'"

Consider, too, this recent report by Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector.

According to Byron York at National Review, "Rector found that in 2004, the

most recent year for which figures are available, low-skill households

received an average of $32,138 per household--the great majority in the form

of means-tested aid and direct benefits. (Rector excluded from that figure

the cost of public goods and interest; with those included, he says, each

low-skill household receives an average of $43,084.) Against that, Rector

found that low-skill households paid an average of $9,689 in taxes. (The

biggest chunk of that was the Social Security tax--$2,509--followed by state

and local taxes, consumption taxes, property taxes, and federal income

taxes, but Rector counted everything, including highway levies and lottery

purchases.) In the final calculation, he found, the average low-skill

household received $22,449 more in benefits than it paid in taxes--the

$32,138 in benefits, excluding public goods, minus the $9,689 in taxes.

"Taking that $22,449, and multiplying it by the 17.7 million low-skill

households, Rector found that the total deficit for such households was $397

billion in 2004. 'Over the next ten years the total cost of low-skill

households to the taxpayer (immediate benefits minus taxes paid) is likely

to be at least $3.9 trillion,' Rector writes. 'This number would go up

significantly if changes in immigration policy lead to substantial increases

in the number of low-skill immigrants entering the country and receiving

services.'"

See York's column at:

http://tinyurl.com/illegal-imm-cost

It has been noted that 75% of people on LA's most-wanted list are illegal

aliens. Nearly 25% of all inmates in California detention centers are here

illegally, and roughly 30% of inmates in the federal prisons are illegal

aliens.

In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports half of all

gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegals from south of the

border. According to Tancredo, gang membership by illegal aliens in many

states is 50%, and in Phoenix, Arizona, illegal aliens constitute 34% of

child-molestation and 40% of auto theft cases.

Furthermore, illegal aliens murder (on average) 12 Americans EVERY DAY,

according to Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa). Plus, illegals that drive

drunk kill another 13 Americans EVERY DAY. That means illegal aliens kill

more Americans EVERY YEAR than have been killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan

wars in total.

See the report at:

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53103

Of course, Arizonans are still reeling from the recent high profile murder

of a fellow citizen on his own property by an illegal.

Law enforcement agencies are very much cognizant of a surge in Latin

American "ultra-violent" gangs that have sprung up in more than 40 US

states. According to the FBI, one gang called MS-13 has been identified in

42 states. Another group called the 18th Street Gang is in 37 states.

According to FBI MS-13 National Gang Task Force director Brian Truchon,

"When the gang migrates throughout the U.S., there is always a road back to

L.A. From L.A., there is always a road back to Central America."

Retired lawman Jim Kouri wrote, "According to Lt. Steve Rogers, a decorated

cop and award-winning writer, there are tens of thousands of murderers,

rapists, child predators, robbers and drug dealers who are illegally in the

United States. One study shows over 200,000 criminal aliens are preying on

U.S. citizens."

What the Arizona law does is authorize its law enforcement personnel to

ENFORCE THE LAW. No one in Arizona is talking about racial profiling or

violating citizens' constitutional rights. In fact, the new Arizona law

actually mirrors already established federal law. But the federal government

has hamstrung State and local police agencies in their attempts to arrest

illegals for decades. Now, Arizona policemen can arrest illegals for being

in the State of Arizona illegally, and have them deported: something they

should have been doing (and have every right to do) all along. No wonder the

vast majority of the American people (not to mention the citizens of

Arizona) supports the Arizona law.

But there is a greater issue here: the right of the State of Arizona to

protect, defend, and govern itself. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the State

sovereignty movement is growing like a wildfire. Whether it is Arizona,

Montana, Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Alaska, or a

couple dozen other states, legislators are beginning to awaken to the

constitutional and moral responsibility of each State to govern itself. And

when the central government in Washington, D.C., abridges or impedes that

responsibility, it is the right and duty of states to resist.

This is why I tell people everywhere I speak, What is going on in [Your

State] is infinitely more important than anything that goes on in

Washington, D.C. Without the approbation of the State, DC's actions and

attitudes are irrelevant. This is why we need county sheriffs, State

legislators, State judges, State attorneys general, and governors who--along

with their State's citizenry--understand the Constitution and are willing to

courageously hold the line for freedom and constitutional government in

their respective states. And by passing this anti-illegal alien bill, the

State of Arizona did just that--the chagrin and consternation of open

borders advocates notwithstanding.

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(c) Chuck Baldwin

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