Pirate's Cove

California’s Democratic Party lawmakers continue their push to make the entire state a sanctuary jurisdiction, with a claim that illegals help their economy

(Sacramento Bee) As California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León and other Democratic lawmakers gain national attention for the effort to make California the first state to declare it self a “sanctuary” for undocumented immigrants, a new report assesses the economic contributions of immigrants every year.

The 2.7 million undocumented immigrants who call California home contribute about $3 billion in taxes to the state’s economy each year, according to the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonprofit tax research organization.

Of that, nearly $30 million in property and sales tax revenue goes to Sacramento County.

But that could be changing under the Trump administration, and the president’s promised immigration crackdown. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly have said being in the U.S. without proper authorization is a crime, leading some undocumented people to retreat back into the shadows, immigration advocates have said.

The headline of the article is about whether illegals cost or save money. There’s a brief link to the Federation For American Immigration Reform, with a blurb about how they say illegals cost money, but, no figures are offered by the article. You can find all sorts of articles at FAIR, such as how much illegals cost for Social Security, the costs for law enforcement, the human smuggling, and so much more. Let’s look at costs specific for California from National Economics Editorial

In light of Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, it’s worth looking at the facts—how many illegal immigrants are there, and what do they cost America?

Lots. Almost $150 billion a year.

But this article focuses specifically on California, which is home to an estimated 27% of America’s illegal aliens.

You can read the full report on illegal immigrants in America here; I cover economics, crime, culture, and morality.

Illegal immigrants and their children cost California at least $30.29 billion a year in net costs—$7,352 per alien.

For context: given that California’s state budget is $171 billion, this means that illegal immigration would cost 17.7% of this spending (although much of the costs are absorbed locally).

So, if we believe the numbers from both California Democrats and NEE, then those who are unlawfully present in the United States are actually costing California a net negative $27.29 billion per year.

And, let’s not forget all the crime committed by illegal aliens. The ones who drive without insurance, leaving legal residents to pay for the repairs and injuries caused by illegals. All the illegals who are jamming up California’s jails. The time having to be wasted by law enforcement and the legal justice system because the illegals are unlawfully present in the country instead of being back in their own countries. The New Boston Post editorial board is running an article about the lies told by an illegal alien organizer, and how that person deemed everyone who wasn’t 100% behind illegals was a racist, and notes

Brockton is one of the poorest cities in Massachusetts. When legal residents of Brockton experience long lines at emergency rooms because some illegal immigrants are using the emergency room for minor medical matters; when they can’t get a modest-paying job because some illegal immigrants are willing to do the work either for less money or without following government regulations or both; when their contracting business is consistently underbid by some illegal immigrants who don’t bother with worker’s compensation insurance; when they have to pay fines for traffic violations but illegal immigrants don’t; when they might go to jail if they present false identification but some illegal immigrants skate; when they are victims of crimes committed by people who don’t have a right to be here …

That’s happening in California, as well. Emergency rooms have been shut down because of illegal aliens using them as doctor’s offices, and the ERs couldn’t afford to stay open. It’s not just the money: it’s all the other stuff, too boot.