Annual Welfare Tab for Children of Illegal Immigrants Estimated at $600M

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Welfare benefits for the children of illegal immigrants cost America's largest county more than $600 million last year, according to a local official keeping tabs on the cost.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich released new statistics this week showing social spending for those families in his county rose to $53 million in November, putting the county government on track to spend more than $600 million on related costs for the year -- up from $570 million in 2009.

Antonovich arrived at the estimate by factoring in the cost of food stamps and welfare-style benefits through a state program known as CalWORKS. Combined with public safety costs and health care costs, the official claimed the "total cost for illegal immigrants to county taxpayers" was more than $1.6 billion in 2010.

"Not including the hundreds of millions of dollars for education," he said in a statement.

Antonovich's figures, though, center on costs generated by American-born children of illegal immigrants. Isabel Alegria, communications director at the California Immigrant Policy Center, said it's "unfair" to roll together costs associated with both illegal immigrants and U.S.-born citizens.

"Those children are U.S. citizens, children eligible for those programs," Alegria said.

She also questioned the authenticity of Antonovich's numbers regarding health care and public safety -- though for the welfare program statistics, Antonovich cited numbers from the county's Department of Public Social Services.

Antonovich acknowledges that the children whose benefits he's focusing on are U.S.-born. But he argues that the money is collected by the illegal immigrant parents, putting a painful burden on taxpayers, including those who are legal immigrants.

"The problem is illegal immigration. ... Their parents evidently immigrated here in order to get on social services," Antonovich spokesman Tony Bell said. "We can no longer afford to be HMO to the world."

He said the state should cut back on these social benefits. According to the November statistics, that cost accounted for 22 percent of all food stamp and CalWORKS spending in the county.

Over the summer, the Federation for American Immigration Reform also looked at these kinds of costs nationwide to get an idea of the burden to local governments at a time when many are grappling with budget deficits.

The organization reported that the cost of illegal immigration stands at about $113 billion a year. Nearly half of that amount went toward education costs, according to the study. Costs were naturally higher in states with large illegal immigrant populations -- in California, the total annual cost was pegged at $21.8 billion.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/19/welfare-tab-children-illegal-immigrants-estimated-m-la-county/#ixzz1BzrZ2SMl

[Jenn! 918]

He said the state should cut back on these social benefits. According to the November statistics, that cost accounted for 22 percent of all food stamp and CalWORKS spending in the county.

Cut back? Try eliminate. Illegal immigrants should not be eligible for welfare - this shouldn't even be an issue.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Cut back? Try eliminate. Illegal immigrants should not be eligible for welfare - this shouldn't even be an issue.

exactly

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Illegal immigrants are not eligible for welfare. Neither are Green Card Holders during the first 5 years of their residency. US citizens are eligible however, no matter how old, how young, how fat, how thin, how beautiful or how ugly they are, or who their parents are.

To change this would require an amendment of the 14th amendment of the Constitution, and in order to pull this off, (simplified) 75% of the voters of every single State of the Union have to support this, which is pure utopia. There are millions of Americans, and they are not only those of Hispanic heritage, who would not want any law that takes away rights of Americans.

[^_^ 5,021]

Cut back? Try eliminate. Illegal immigrants should not be eligible for welfare - this shouldn't even be an issue.

Antonovich's figures ... center on costs generated by American-born children of illegal immigrants.

[Jenn! 918]

Ah, well then all is good in the world!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Illegal immigrants are not eligible for welfare. Neither are Green Card Holders during the first 5 years of their residency. US citizens are eligible however, no matter how old, how young, how fat, how thin, how beautiful or how ugly they are, or who their parents are.

To change this would require an amendment of the 14th amendment of the Constitution, and in order to pull this off, (simplified) 75% of the voters of every single State of the Union have to support this, which is pure utopia. There are millions of Americans, and they are not only those of Hispanic heritage, who would not want any law that takes away rights of Americans.

Illegal aliens in Massachusetts can collect welfare. FACT. Many other states are the same.

Is ignorance bliss?

[tallcoolone 102]

Illegals in Texas Collect Welfare..........

And they have learned how to milk the system

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Illegal aliens in Massachusetts can collect welfare. FACT. Many other states are the same.

Is ignorance bliss?

I throw that question right back at ya.

Please provide link to source stating that illegal aliens are eligible for welfare in any of the 50 States.

Thanks.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I throw that question right back at ya.

Please provide link to source stating that illegal aliens are eligible for welfare in any of the 50 States.

Thanks.

Five days after the Arizona measure became law, the Massachusetts House came close to passing a Republican proposal to block public benefits for illegal immigrants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/us/11boston.html

In the spring of 2010 Massachusetts legislatures failed to keep ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS from receiving welfare, Obama's own Aunt received welfare in Massachussetts.

Are you ignorant or just in denial?