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..