Deporting all illegal aliens and the "cost of tomatoes"
The Left argues deporting illegal aliens will cost the US $88 billion & hike costs of tomatoes they harvest. They don't tell you it will save Americans $182 billion in taxes needed to support them.
By Ray Hanania
FREE/Illegal Aliens Immigration Migrants/Wednesday Nov. 27, 2024
The media is going berserk over President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to mass deport anyone who is in America illegally.
I listened to CNN and MSNBC, two of the most misleading Leftwing news sources when it comes to politics, have hissy fits about how deporting 11 million individuals who entered this country illegally and who remain illegal will harm this country financially and economically, including impair the harvesting of tomatoes.
And let’s be clear about the terms. An Illegal Alien is NOT an Immigrant. Immigrant is a generic term for someone who enters this country. Those who enter America legally by applying to the US Government for citizenship and residency and receive extensive background vetting are “immigrants.”
However, those who enter this country illegally are not “immigrants.” They should not be called “illegal immigrants,” but should be called “illegal aliens.”
What’s the danger? If we can’t vet the individuals who enter this country, we can’t separate those who are or have been engaged in criminal activity from those who are not a criminal threat to America.
Criminals should not be allowed to enter this country, although many countries like Mexico and Venezuela are pushing their criminals to leave the country and enter America illegally. They deny that but they are not doing anything to prevent the illegal entry of their citizens into America.
Non-criminals, or individuals who have no reason to hide their past, should be welcomed to enter the country legally and become citizens so Americans can be sure of their non-criminal backgrounds.
The problem is that many aliens don’t want to wait. It’s not about them spending money because they pay the traffickers, often called “coyotes” but who are essentially “human smugglers.”
To enter this country without being processed through Customs and Immigration is illegal and is a crime.
We know there are 11 million illegal aliens in this country, foreigners who came here illegally without going through our immigration system.
Defenders of these individuals argue that deporting them will undermine our economy because illegal immigrants do the jobs other “Americans” don’t want to do.
In many cases, they are farm workers, although most people I know, have experience with them as lawn care workers who mow their lawns and cut their trees.
CNN and MSNBC recently argued that if the 11 million illegal aliens are deported, American children will grow up never seeing a ripe tomato, one of the products harvested by illegal immigrants and migrants by farmers that pay them wages that are below what American citizens would be required to be paid.
In other words, it’s cheaper for companies to hire illegal aliens, and that’s why they want them. So they can profit off of them.
But it is absurd to suggest that we won’t have people harvesting our crops and that children in the future may never see a real “tomato.”
They also argue that deporting them will cost the American economy. Replacing illegal immigrants with American citizens will indeed have consequences, but the media only focuses on one side of that argument, the money lost by their removal is about $88 billion.
The argument also is that the cost of that tomato will double if farmers are required to pay citizens to do the work.
The other side of the argument is that expelling illegal immigrants costs the American people more than $182 billion in support.
In essence, American taxpayers are paying $100 million more to support these illegal aliens. Expelling them would save taxpayers $100 million. Would that off-set the cost of the tomatoes?
Clearly, the American economy would NOT LOSE. It would actually GAIN.
Here is an overview of both arguments:
HOW MUCH ILLEGAL ALIENS EARN FOR THE ECONOMY
Deporting all undocumented immigrants in the United States would have significant economic repercussions. Estimates suggest that such an action could reduce the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by approximately 4.2% to 6.8%. For context, the U.S. GDP contracted by 4.3% during the Great Recession between 2007 and 2009. Visit American Immigration Council
The financial cost of executing a mass deportation is also substantial. The American Immigration Council estimates that deporting one million immigrants per year would incur an annual cost of $88 billion, primarily due to expenses related to building detention camps. Over a decade, this would total approximately $967.9 billion. Visit American Immigration Council
Beyond these direct costs, deporting undocumented immigrants would disrupt various sectors of the economy that heavily rely on their labor, such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality. This disruption could lead to labor shortages, increased production costs, and higher prices for consumers. For instance, U.S. farm industry groups have expressed concerns that mass deportations would severely disrupt the food supply chain and increase grocery prices. Visit Reuters
In summary, the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants would likely result in a significant economic downturn, with substantial costs to the federal government and adverse effects on key industries and consumer prices.
HOW MUCH ILLEGAL ALIENS COST THE ECONOMY
Estimating the annual fiscal impact of undocumented immigrants and migrants on federal and state budgets involves analyzing both the costs of public services utilized and the tax revenues contributed by these populations. Various studies have attempted to quantify this impact, yielding differing results due to varying methodologies and assumptions.
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Estimates: FAIR, an organization advocating for stricter immigration controls, reported that as of early 2023, the net annual cost of illegal immigration to U.S. taxpayers was approximately $150.7 billion. This figure accounts for an estimated $182 billion in expenditures on services such as education, healthcare, and law enforcement, offset by about $32 billion in taxes paid by undocumented immigrants. Visit Fairness USA
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Findings: The CBO has found that while immigration can increase state and local government costs—particularly in areas like education, healthcare, and housing—these expenditures are often offset by the economic contributions of immigrants. The CBO notes that increases in immigration tend to raise federal revenues more than costs, potentially lowering deficits over time. Visit Congressional Budget Office
State-Level Impacts: The financial effects of undocumented immigration vary by state, influenced by factors such as the size of the immigrant population and the state's economy. For example, Texas and California, which have large immigrant populations, have been reported to incur significant costs related to services for undocumented immigrants. Visit Newsweek
Considerations: It's important to recognize that these estimates are subject to debate and depend on the methodologies used. Some analyses may not fully account for the economic contributions of undocumented immigrants, such as their roles in the labor force and consumer spending, which can stimulate economic growth and generate tax revenues. Additionally, undocumented immigrants are generally ineligible for many federal benefits, which can limit the direct costs associated with this population.
In summary, while there are costs associated with providing services to undocumented immigrants and migrants, these are often balanced by their economic contributions. The net fiscal impact varies across different studies and is influenced by numerous factors, including local economies, labor market dynamics, and public policy decisions.
The bottom line: allowing illegal aliens to remain in America costs American taxpayers more than it does if they are expelled.
Ironically, the administration of President Joe Biden has not done enough to raise this issue because there is an anecdotal belief that immigrants lean towards the Liberals and Left who allow them into the country and they oppose the Right who seek their deportation. In other words, illegal aliens favor Democrats. How does that help the Democrats? Well, the presumption is that the citizen relatives of illegal aliens, the largest majority are Hispanic from Mexico and Central and South America, and would therefore vote Democratic.
Despite this, data in the last election showed that a significant number of Latinos voted for Trump over Kamala Harris. Their concern wasn’t illegal immigration. It was the economy. Biden however did not hesitate to sanction Venezuela over their election hijinks, but not for the encouraging criminals to leave. Click this link for more info. And, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris failed to address the illegal alien, border crisis.