| There’s no time like tax time to think about what illegal immigration really costs American taxpayers. The financial burden for welfare, medical care, and education for those who are living in this country illegally now exceeds $100 billion per year. That translates into approximately $1,000 per taxpayer annually. In these difficult economic times, it is unfair to expect hardworking, law abiding, taxpaying Americans to foot the bill for benefits to people who have no legal right to be in the country. Our government needs to take a fair and principled stand against illegal immigration and in support of Americans, whether they are unemployed and looking for jobs that have been taken by illegal aliens, or whether they are working and paying taxes. It’s time to join the FAIR fight to stop illegal immigration and get our national economy working again. Donate today.
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Two members of Utah’s delegation, U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R) and U.S. Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R) announced their opposition to Utah’s new guest worker amnesty law last week, declaring their belief that the law is unconstitutional. Under Utah’s new law, H.B. 116, the state may grant illegal aliens who enter the state before May 10, 2011 guest worker permits, allowing them to continue living and working in Utah—in direct violation of federal law. The bill also allows these illegal workers to sponsor their illegal alien relatives (spouses and children) for permits that allow them to accompany the worker. H.B. 116 will go into effect as soon as the State of Utah obtains a waiver from the federal government or July 1, 2013, whichever is sooner.
U.S. Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ) changed his position on immigration reform last week, declaring the pursuit of “comprehensive” immigration reform a “dead end.” The “political realities in Washington are such that a comprehensive solution is not possible, or even desirable given the current leadership,” he said in a statement posted on his website.
Early last week, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Alejandro Mayorkas unveiled an online version of E-verify that allows individuals to verify their own work authorization. This electronic version is intended to provide workers with an opportunity to verify their own work authorization, thereby allowing them to correct any inaccuracies in their DHS and Social Security Administration (SSA) records before applying for employment. DHS also hopes the self-check program will streamline the verification process for employers. (Id.) The E-Verify self-check program allows workers eight business days to clear up any inaccuracies identified.
Congressman Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA) introduced two key immigration bills this past month, the “Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act” (H.R. 1134) and the “Unlawful Border Entry Prevention Act of 2011” (H.R. 1091).
Early last week, the Maryland state Senate passed a measure to provide in-state tuition to illegal aliens. The bill, which was approved by a vote of 27-20, allows illegal aliens to attend Maryland colleges at the reduced in-state tuition rate, which averages $10,000 less than tuition for non-residents, thus giving illegal aliens a significant financial benefit over U.S. citizens who reside in neighboring states.
Under heavy lobbying from business interests, the Arizona state senate defeated five bills last week that would have created additional deterrence to illegal aliens. Republican state senators were split over the bills, which included two bills designed to eventually force the United States Supreme Court to restore proper applications of the birthright citizenship provisions in the 14th Amendment. Three additional bills would have required hospitals to notify authorities of aliens suspected of being in the country illegally; restricted illegal aliens from attending state universities and collecting federal benefits; and required public schools to record how many children of illegal aliens attend classes.
Florida lawmakers have filed several immigration enforcement bills since the beginning of the state’s 60-day legislative session that began on March 8. Two of the bills stirring the most debate are SPB 7066 in the Senate and HB 7089 in the House.
