Census Controversies and the Illegal Immigration Debate
Latino groups are concerned that the 2010 census will undercount undocumented workers.
The 2010 census is still more than five months away — with the national count scheduled for April 1 — and it has already produced three separate controversies involving Latinos and illegal immigration.
1. For the last several months, immigration activists and Latino advocacy groups have been discreetly lobbying the census bureau to ask immigration officials to suspend worksite raids long enough to carry out the census. The argument was that illegal immigrants — and for that matter, legal immigrants with family members who may be undocumented or who are themselves unnerved by a climate of immigrant-bashing — would be too afraid to participate in the survey. Recently, census officials announced that they would not ask the Department of Homeland Security for a moratorium on immigration raids. And with that, one government agency stood up to public pressure and refused to tell another one how to conduct its affairs.
2. Meanwhile, two Republican senators — David Vitter of Louisiana and Bob Bennett of Utah — want to exclude illegal immigrants from the survey by requiring that the census bureau, for the first time, ask people whether they’re in the country illegally. They’ve proposed an amendment to an appropriations bill that would stop funding for the 2010 census unless the changes are made. The current policy, in effect since the first census in 1790, allows the government to ask whether respondents are foreign-born, but not their legal status. That’s because the census is supposed to count all “residents,” including illegal immigrants. The senators want to change that, even if it means shortchanging states with large immigrant populations.
3. Finally, while some Latino activists are worried about illegal immigrants not participating in the census, others — including the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders and the Mexican American Political Association — are urging that all 47 million Latinos boycott the census as a way of protesting White House foot-dragging on immigration reform and what they see as the Obama administration’s heavy-handed enforcement measures (i.e., building fences, conducting worksite raids, and deporting illegal immigrants). Clearly, the activists are disappointed, but that’s no excuse for being self-destructive. After all, the redistricting process will take place in state legislatures in the months following the survey.
The request to suspend immigration raids is out of line. Not only are immigration raids a necessary and legitimate tool for the government to use as it tries to curb illegal immigration, they are also not linked to the census in any way whatsoever. Federal officials aren’t raiding homes. They’re raiding businesses in search of illegal immigrants. How would that kind of activity make people afraid to answer the door at home? Shouldn’t they be afraid to go to work?
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Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union Tribune, a nationally syndicated columnist, a frequent lecturer, and a regular contributor to CNN.com.
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43 Comments
1. John "birther" Samford:Excuse me? If they are illegal aliens, they SHOULD NOT be counted in the census. PERIOD. The census is a count of AMERICAN citizens, not criminals from some other country. Deportations should be increased NOT put on holiday.
Nov 3, 2009 - 4:46 am 2. vivo:If you, like me, want more new citizens then work to change the immigration laws. New citizens are America’s greatest treasure. Criminals are not. If they sneak across the border they are criminals and need to be apprehended and returned, NOT counted in the census.
“When you do the math, it’s easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how over $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services”
:: Count the illegals.
Nov 3, 2009 - 4:47 am 3. Bilgeman:Mr. Navarette:
“States that have taken in more than their share of illegal immigrants should get what they’re due in federal resources and congressional representation. For that to happen, illegal immigrants have to be counted in the census.”
Nope.
We’ve done this before, so we know exactly what it’s about, chum.
Back in the 1840s, they counted slaves as 3/5ths of a person.
You want your modern-day “slaves” counted so you can use their presence to gerrymander more than your fair share of representation and claim more federal resources than you’d otherwise be due.
Nope. These folks should not be here, they can not vote. They are due NO representation OR federal resources…and the states that tolerate and wink at their presence shouldn’t be subsidized for doing so.
Nov 3, 2009 - 5:03 am 4. Sassenach:illegal = not supposed to be here = shouldn’t be counted
Nov 3, 2009 - 5:35 am 5. Dave M.:I am concerned that 2010 census will count “undocumented” workers. Those who are illegally in this country should not be counted for the purpose of Congressional representation. Of course, legal immigrants, those who came to this country without first breaking its laws, should be counted. But I guess I am just a big racist.
Nov 3, 2009 - 5:45 am 6. Tolbert:Rueben tries to come off as reasonable by suggesting that pro enforcement workplace raids continue, while insisting that the census also count those who are here illegally so that the states most affected by alarming number of illegals get their fair share of federal dollars to meet the burdens imposed by their presence.
In reality Ruben knows full well that workplace raids have been sparse and sporadic and are having no effect in stemming the tsunami of people entering and remaining in the country illegally.
By including illegals in the census Navarette hopes to affect a change in balance of power to those states with heavy illegal populations in a bid to reshape immigration policy sympathetic to his pro reconquista agenda.
Nov 3, 2009 - 5:47 am 7. Frank:And Ruben, when commenters say that Illegals are criminals, they are NOT saying that they are all bad people, all members of MS-13 and drug cartels, all robbers and murderers. What they are saying is that they broke the law when entering the country, and most likely broke the law again to get work/I.D’s/benefits. It’s called principles; integrity; those are things Americans take seriously.
Nov 3, 2009 - 6:08 am 8. MarkD:What else, count tourists? It’s just as legitimate, and just as wrong.
Nov 3, 2009 - 6:34 am 9. vivo:4. Sassenach:
illegals = they here = they impact your infrastructure = better get the federal money = duh!
Nov 3, 2009 - 7:05 am 10. Dave K.:So what’s wrong with counting undocumented workers?
The census will only highlight the problem with “undocumented workers”!
The census is supposed to show the actual population of the United States and if it turns out that 30 millions or so are here illegally, then the focus will be on solving this problem.
Nov 3, 2009 - 7:07 am 11. Phoenix48:All about the numbers Ruben?
“Today, the U.S. population is 15 percent Latino. Census projections estimate that this figure will grow to 25 percent by 2030 and 30 percent by 2050.”
‘Census projections…’
This census has been ground zero on the illegal immigration radar screen since Obama failed to hoodwink a certain Republican Senator into being a stooge Commerce Secretary (token conservative on the ‘team of rivals’).
AS a result those so-called ‘projections’ have hit a speed bump – namely -sunshine. As in intense scrutiny.
Obama’s biggest problem since alienating the independents who helped elect him is his profilgate spending when addicted to enlarging government. They esspecially don’t like it when friends and family are struggling without jobs.
So why would Obama care if Latino advocates cut their own throats by advising their ‘fellow nationals’, as the Sonoran mayor discussed as much in a recent sit down chat with the editorial board of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC, to boycott?
Why, if as several of your recent posts insist, that immigration (under Sen Chuckie Schumar NY) is on O’s front burner, why wouldn’t the comming Census provide an apt oppertunity for the Adminstration to ramp up and push for so-called comprehensive reform?
I mean it’s the ideal political timing isn’t it – and the self-appointed ‘voice’s’ of Latino’s are clamoring – right?
Because IMMIGRATION IS A LOSE LOSE PROPOSITION – IT’S A DEAD ISSUE – AND IF YOU TOUCH IT – YOUR DEAD ALSO.
Oh yeah, with 10% national unemployment & a repeated 15%-20% listing for those ‘opting out’ – and regions where 30%-50% is now ‘the new normal’….LETS GO WITH IMMIGRATION. That should inspire the warm and fuzzies!
Are you kidding? It’s all about the numbers? Really?
You are a single issue dolt Ruben. Get a below the line job shilling Oliver Stone’s upcoming Chavez ‘thriller’…
Nov 3, 2009 - 7:42 am 12. EscapeVelocity:I think that illegals need their own representatives in Congress.
Nov 3, 2009 - 8:40 am 13. urbanleftbehind:Well why not just count them, NOT assign political representation, but use those numbers as the basis for a smaller less controversal set of federal activities, e.g. transportation, DEA, ICE, emergency room, epidemics. The more esoteric stuff, like student aid, head start, education, SBA, HUD would be distributed on a citizen count bases.
Now you know why Gov. Perry does jack s))* – he’s waiting for his Texas to get 40 electoral votes.
Nov 3, 2009 - 8:41 am 14. Delia:Open season?
Good. I’m in a huntin’ mood.
*Off to put on safety orange*
Nov 3, 2009 - 9:16 am 15. Tex Expatriate:The only real debate about illegal aliens is the one conducted between the government and the citizens. Taken as a whole, genuine American citizens do not support illegals coming into this country. I don’t even know many Latino American citizens who support it.
Nov 3, 2009 - 9:50 am 16. Dave K.:Tex Expatriate@15:
“The only real debate about illegal aliens is the one conducted between the government and the citizens. Taken as a whole, genuine American citizens do not support illegals coming into this country. I don’t even know many Latino American citizens who support it.”
No, but a lot of businesses do.
Nov 3, 2009 - 10:03 am 17. Bilgeman:Profiting by firing US citizens and paying illegals almost nothing.
It’s the American way!
It’s mighty peculiar how folks have forgotten one of the big mistakes that “W” made which alienated his base.
His push for “Immigration Reform”,(aka: Call it anything BUT Amnesty!).
It was so obviously a sop to the “moderate” business wing of the GOP, and so obviously kicked the base voters right in the chops that his Presidency truly never recovered from it.
There’s a solution to illegal immigration…immediate mass deportation of those illegals already here.
Reform of the racist on its face Immigration Act of 1965 which discriminates against European and Asian immigrants, and then opening up the quotas for the folks who want to come here LEGALLY.
Anything else is economic treason at the very least.
Nov 3, 2009 - 10:08 am 18. Tolbert:Dave K.
Because besides enumeration the use of the census is to assign representation in congress.
So what you are advocating is that non-citizens have their own representatives in congress who will able to shape policy, both domestic and foreign.
It’s bad enough that 40%, soon to be 50% of the people in this country don’t pay any federal taxes, but now you want to additionally give power to people who have entered and remain in the country illegally to be able to decide the direction this nation is heading.
The only remaining solution, if this trend continues, is the balkanization of the U.S. into three regions. I wouldn’t want to see that happen, but I am not unreconciled to that possibility either.
Nov 3, 2009 - 10:12 am 19. Old Soldier:EscapeVelocity: Me too – in the Mexican Congress.
Nov 3, 2009 - 10:21 am 20. Eric:Worried that they will be undercounted? They shouldn’t be counted at all! Since they aren’t citizens they cannot vote so any Congressional apportionment made based on the numbers of illegals in an area is in effect stealing representation from an American citizen.
Deport them all now.
Nov 3, 2009 - 10:24 am 21. Dave K.:Tolbert@18:
“Because besides enumeration the use of the census is to assign representation in congress.
So what you are advocating is that non-citizens have their own representatives in congress who will able to shape policy, both domestic and foreign.”
No, I just want to know how many illegal immigrants there actually are in the US.
And the census is one way of finding out.
I’m sure there are ways of having reports available for population count as well as legal status.
I don’t know how many there are and I suspect that nobody does.
The numbers I’ve seen vary betwixt 10 million and 30 million!
And they are the equivalent of union scabs, except on a national level!
Nov 3, 2009 - 11:47 am 22. Tolbert@gmail.com:Dave K.
So do I as I suspect that the number is higher than most dare imagine. But the census, is the wrong instrument for this purpose unless the underlying statutes are changed so that it cannot be used for apportionment of representatives to those in the country illegally.
I live in a town of 50,000 on the outskirts of Atlanta. Less than 10 years ago the population was about 50% White, 45 % black and 5% Asian. Now the population is 35% White, 35% Black, 20% Latino, 5% Asian, 5% other.
I see this throughout the U.S. Whether it is Cedar Town Georgia, Independence Wisconsin or Boaz Alabama, the numbers are astounding.
This trend does not bode well for the continuance of the Republic. We cannot have unlimited immigration without severe economic and societal consequences.
Nov 3, 2009 - 12:14 pm 23. Dave K.:Tolbert@gmail.com@22:
“Dave K.
So do I as I suspect that the number is higher than most dare imagine. But the census, is the wrong instrument for this purpose unless the underlying statutes are changed so that it cannot be used for apportionment of representatives to those in the country illegally.”
I agree with you.
Having said that, the children born of the current illegal aliens become US citizens automatically, so the census might be correct, if one generation behind the actual numbers.
It also means that the census numbers using existing methodology might actually be statistically correct, especially when taking anchor babies into consideration.
They might off by a couple of years, but census numbers are supposed to be an indication of what will come.
Nov 3, 2009 - 12:55 pm 24. sassenach:#9 Vivo:
Different equation: they’re here = they’re impacting our infractructure (i.e., costing us money) = refuse services and eject them.
I thought one of the primary arguments in support of letting illegals remain is that they’re so benficial to the economy. Guess not, huh. Unless it presents an opportunity to steal money from the states with lower illegal immigrant populations.
Nov 3, 2009 - 2:34 pm 25. Cheri:In many countries outside the U.S., illegal immigrants are jailed, fined, or shot. Some simply disappear. In the U.S., illegal immigrants get a job, a driver’s license, and emergency health care. The census should be limited to legal U.S. residents; meanwhile, our spineless Federal government needs to inact realistic immigration reform.
Nov 3, 2009 - 3:09 pm 26. Federale:Again, Navarrette is exhibiting his racism and ethnocentrism. What is good for Hispanics is his policy.
Illegal aliens should not be counted and any identified by the census should be reported to DHS and arrested.
Nov 3, 2009 - 3:26 pm 27. Fantom:Why is this racist POS Navarette allowed to spread his venom here?
Nov 3, 2009 - 3:58 pm 28. Leatherneck:Texas is a big winner of illegal aliens? The American tax payer is no winner with millions of illegal aliens sucking government services, and court costs.
Sue Mexico, and take oil from them to pay for all this Marxism!
Nov 3, 2009 - 4:09 pm 29. John "birther" Samford:“Why is this racist POS Navarette allowed to spread his venom here?”
Fantom, First Amendment. I disagree with Ruben, but I will defend to the death his right to be an obnoxious, bigoted a$$hole. So long as he respects my right to be an opinionated a$$hole.
Nov 3, 2009 - 4:35 pm 30. vivo:My only issue is the line drawn between the First Amendment and treason. IF Ruben is an American citizen and he is offering aid and comfort to America’s enemies thru his advocacy of turning the USA into another 3rd wold mudhole, then I do have a problem with that. On the other hand, the USA as another 3rd world mudhole mean immigration won’t be an issue.
If he isn’t an American citizen, then he needs to be back home working toward turning his native land into something people want to immigrate to, instead of escape from.
24. sassenach:
“Different equation: they’re here = they’re impacting our infractructure(sic) (i.e., costing us money) = refuse services and eject them.”
That’s the whole point. If you count them then you know where they are. But before they are deported or become citizens, the infrastructure needs to be supported and updated to YOUR benefit.
The people that don’t want them counted for political reasons, they are ignorant: illegals don’t vote, cannot vote.
You don’t want immigrants? Get a job at a farm, slaughter house, cleaning service, taxi company, construction, mining, nursing, babysitting or food service. If not, shut up.
Nov 3, 2009 - 4:42 pm 31. Leatherneck:Once again the left shows how stupid it is.
It is not immigrants that the majority has a problem with. It is illegal immigrants.
Do you understand the word illegal?
Nov 3, 2009 - 5:29 pm 32. Duane Phinney:“4. Sassenach:
illegals = they here = they impact your infrastructure = better get the federal money = duh!”
At the same time it gives Democrats many more seats in Congress and Republicans loose an equal number.
If these cities want to be sanctuary cities, let the taxpayers foot the bill.
Nov 3, 2009 - 6:17 pm 33. Dark Helmet:Rubin….. you are a riot!
#31, do you understand the word ‘ alien ‘ ? These are not immigrants, they are criminals that must be removed, eliminated if need be, But that is a choice they will make by breaking back in. The Castle Doctrine seems to be inorder.
Again, for you phuqing idiots…. a place is not a race.
Nov 3, 2009 - 7:13 pm 34. myth buster:Calling illegal immigrants the equivalent of union scabs is an insult to scabs. There is no law against taking a job without the union’s permission, nor does the union have any right to the worker’s wages without his consent. Power to the scabs! Show those union thugs you’re not afraid of them, and tell them to keep their grubby hands off your paycheck! Show lazy union workers that there’s plenty of people who would love to do their jobs if they don’t want them. I don’t mind paying people what they’re worth, but union sponsored extortion (among other things) is driving this country into the ground. Illegal immigrants, however, broke the law by jumping the boarder.
Nov 3, 2009 - 7:15 pm 35. Scott:Don’t reward sanctary states/cities by counting people who shouldn’t be here. Let THEM pay for their erroneous, ILLEGAL policies. Cut off federal funding to areas that ignore or break federal laws. Also, I don’t want pro-illegal socialist reconquistas to gain more seats in government; I don’t want the U.S. to fall farther behind other developed countries than we already have. Indeed, we never authorized our governemnt to fundamentally alter the demographic character of the country. That decision was made for us, secretely, behind closed doors.
Nov 3, 2009 - 7:28 pm 36. vivo:31. Leatherneck:
“It is not immigrants that the majority has a problem with. It is illegal immigrants.”
30 million illegals? That’s quite a bit of immigrants. Not an accurate estimate? Count them.
And how many will tell the census they are illegals?
Nov 4, 2009 - 4:44 am 37. Paul -Indiana:What part of ILLEGAL don’t you understand, Ruben? They are not citizens and should not be counted in the census of US CITIZENS.
Nov 4, 2009 - 4:58 am 38. pelaut:Navarette; I live in L.A.
Nov 4, 2009 - 4:59 am 39. pelaut:It will be a cold day in hell when ANY L.A. country counts gringos in order to apportion the legislature’s representation, or dole out assistance.
Stop it with the racist opinions disguised as reasonable argument.
Sorry, I meant illegal and non-citizen gringos, of course.
Nov 4, 2009 - 5:01 am 40. goy:- The census is all about numbers. And that’s the same thing the immigration debate is about. It’s not law and order, not economics, and not secure borders. It’s all about numbers.
Here’s where you went completely off the rails, R.N.
The census is a Constitutionally-mandated, government function and as such, because it determines the composition of Congress in a fundamental way, is very much about law and order.
And inasmuch as federal law influences (lately: controls) economics it is also very much about that as well. To pretend not to see this is an unreasonable, even irrational position. If the census were solely about ‘numbers’, there wouldn’t be any point to it and there certainly wouldn’t be any justification for spending Treasury monies on it.
So – just because Latino activists are whining – you want to suspend the law. Sorry, I don’t think you’ll get many people to climb on that bus. Just as you won’t get reasonable people to buy into the notion that the immigration debate is only about ‘numbers’. That debate is about ILLEGAL immigration and, as such, about CRIMINAL activity – very much an issue of law and order. Your proposition that we ignore law in order to benefit La Raza is by definition true, fundamental racism.
Nov 4, 2009 - 6:25 am 41. paul_unalaska:Ruben, long time.. is this due to the La Familia busts, MS-13 murders/ incarcerations in the D.C. area, 287g WORKING in Virginia, driving the illegal gang members further into pro illegal Montgomery County, MD et al.?
How about the despicable incident which occurred at Richmond, California H.S. recently? I’m curious as to the 10 or so witnesses/ participants who’d abused/ twisted the 14th Amendment to enjoy their ‘citizenship’?
Hey, as long as ‘CASA’, ‘Identity Inc’, La Raza, PUEBLO, the 2 LATINO, not AMERICAN activist groups you’d mentioned in your article continue receiving federal dollars and shovel empathy toward the useful idiots i.e. Democrat voting base, liberal politicians..
Ahh, I digress.
Yes, the liberal and/or Democratic led states house illegals moreso than Republicans. You PURPOSELY left out another state in the West – Colorado.
Colorado, which was a Republican led state up until ~5 years ago ‘boasts’ of 500,000 illegals in their 4 million population. That’s 1 in 8 are illegal. Go check out the larger cities: West Denver, Aurora, Pueblo, Thornton, Longmont, Westminster, etc., and see how the illegal population has ‘contributed its share of destroying the public education system, gang activity, teen pregnancy, violence and STEALING of state programs..
Oklahoma has put a strong arm on illegals in their state and its paying dividends..
Again, it’s a FELONY if entering our country illegally. Whether you’re working or not, you are a CRIMINAL working in our sadly, porous borders.
Unemployment for U.S. Citizens are extreme and you were complaining of not enough H1-B Visas issued. Now, it’s taking ILLEGALS out of American jobs, too?
Lastly, your ‘The senators want to change that, even if it means shortchanging states with large immigrant populations’ comment – A majority of the public WANT this and the majority of Senators are listening due to the ILLEGAL ALIENS (don’t try to ’sell’ it as immigrant, Ruben) contributing greatly to inundating, breaking every facet of the American system.
Nov 4, 2009 - 8:11 am 42. John P:“States that have taken in more than their share of illegal immigrants should get what they’re due in federal resources and congressional representation.”
I was in agreement with the article until I read this line; as others have pointed out – this is complete nonsense. There are several points as to why it is completely outrageous for the census to include illegals:
1. These people are here ILLEGALLY. Just by being in this country they are violating several laws. They should not be here in the first place, why should they be counted for any reason other than to determine how many there are?
2. Your assertion that states that harbor illegals should receive more federal resources and representation is completely idiotic and lacks even a pretense of an attempt at logic. Why should states that create safe havens for illegals (by creating “safe cities”, giving them various benefits, etc) receive federal resources to support them? Maybe if these states were forced to provide for the illegals themselves they would not be quite so eager to welcome them with open arms.
3. Then there’s the blatant stupidity of rewarding those who break the law (and most of whom don’t pay taxes) with federal resources and representation. Not being citizens (or even legal residents) they cannot vote – or at least should not be able to. (I am not naive and know that Democrats are so moving at times that illegals and even dead people turn out to vote for them.) When you reward an action, you encourage that action.
4. As others have pointed out, the census is not just about numbers. Yes, one of its functions is to get an idea of how many people there are in the country, what the demographics are, how many are citizens or just residents, etc. But that not all these numbers are used for, they also determine how many reps a state has and how the districts are divided. I have no problem with counting illegals (we need to know how many there are so that we know how big the problem is), but they should be labeled as such in the census and their numbers should not be included in the determination of state reps, etc.
Many people make emotional appeals when participating in the illegal immigration debate but would never run their own household in the same way they propose we run our country’s immigration policy. Assume for the moment that we are talking about a typical American family:
a. You have the adults who are the heads of the household who make the money, laws, and decision regarding the household. They are the adult citizens who engage in economic activity, voting, legislating, campaigning, lobbing, grassroots organization, and everything else that makes our society/government function.
b.There are the children of the adults who have almost no say in the decisions of the adults although the decisions of the adults almost always take the needs and sometimes their wants into consideration when making decisions. These are the children of citizens who are citizens themselves; they have little economic power and no political voice but nonetheless their needs influence public and private spending and policy.
c. Then there are the invited guests. Their residency maybe short-term and temporary like cousin Jack whose wife kicked him out of the house for a week after he came home drunk five nights in a row or long-term and permanent like the in-laws who are staying indefinitely. They may help pay the rent/mortgage, help out around the house, help babysit the kids, etc; but they do not have a say in the decision/rule making of the household. They are expected to obey the rules of the house and if they violate them too many times they will be asked to leave. If they have lived in the household for many years, they may “petition” to become members of the family and then participate in the decisions of the family. It is obvious that this refers to the legal immigrants who waited for an invitation and who usually appreciate being allowed into the US; they contribute to the US economy – but have no political voice.
d. Lastly, you have the uninvited “guests”. Imagine a homeless guy forcing his way into your house and then hiding out in the basement. He raids your fridge when hungry and makes use of all the amenities your house has to offer. When confronted, he gives a sob story of how hard his life was before and accuses you of discrimination and declares his right to stay. He does do odd jobs around the house, but these are jobs you could have gotten someone else to do (for a slightly higher cost) or gotten your kids to do. We would not put up with a person like this in our house, but the Democrats are trying to have us put up with millions like this in our country.
I would like to state for the record that I am not anti-immigration, I myself immigrated LEGALLY to this country 20 years ago to escape religious persecution in the Soviet Union. I can appreciate that people want a better life for themselves and their children and that they believe the US is the best place to make this happen; but the fact remains that breaking the laws of the receiving country to get in should not get you advantages over others in line to get in. I am very much in touch with the Slavic immigrant community in my area and could tell you many heart-breaking stories of people who are trying to get their families to join them here in the US and of the hard lives their families endure in the former Soviet republics; but they are following the law in trying to get their loved ones here – why should someone who came here illegally jump to the front of the line?
Nov 4, 2009 - 8:31 am 43. PRM:Please explain to me again why we are using govenment resources to support people who are here illegally? Isn’t that what counting illegals in the census comes down to? More people in the Census means more money from the federal govenment for the state education and health & welfare budgets. Oh wait, I forgot we can’t ask people their immigration status when they enroll their kids in school or apply for foodstamps, or Medicaid, so we need all the money from the federal government that we can get.
Nov 6, 2009 - 3:00 pmBack to my original question…..why are my tax dollars going to support people who are here illegally?