Is it a misconception of people against illegal immigration that....?

Question

illegal immigrants use up more government services then they pay into the system, and they put a burden on the health care system to? How can this be possible when they are disqualified from nearly all means-tested government programs including food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid and Medicare-funded hospitalization.

Do illegal immigrants receive more government benefits than they pay in taxes?

http://redblueamerica.com/truthornot/2008-04-03/do-illegal-immigrants-receive-more-government-benefits-they-pay-taxes-2300

As the debate over Social Security heats up, the estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year.

While it has been evident for years that illegal immigrants pay a variety of taxes, the extent of their contributions to Social Security is striking: the money added up to about 10 percent of last year's surplus.

Answer 1

Grump56... It's not a laughing matter. The are humans just like you and me, legal or illegal. If they go and arrest them, then their family will be separated, would you like that for yourself? The reason they don't arrest them is because they are contributing the the funds.

Jagger... What you don't get is that they do work in "OFFICIAL" payroll. With a fake social security number, so weather or not its real the money is still going into the social security fund that they will NEVER use. Why do they do it? Because they are people who just want to come here and work to feed their families and to live a better life. The put up with people exploiting them, they work jobs that us the "young" people will never do. And they don't care if they get payed less... why because they are getting money to eat, to survive and for a better future for their kids... who are just like you and me... "LEGAL" Get with it and don't be so d**n ignorant.

EDIT::

Igu Guru: They work with fake social security numbers aswell, where does that check in with identity theft. Where is all that money going to... to our fund in the future.

Answer 2

I don't think it is a misconception, I think it is deliberate anti-Hispanic propaganda. This tossed around "fact" has no basis, just a few links to publications like the World Net Daily. Anyone doing the real research knows the truth.

"Hispanics

Local Hispanics spend $15 billion every year.

Hispanics represent the youngest and fastest growing population segment in the state

In Arizona, Hispanic buying power is expected to go from $24.2 billion dollars in 2005 to $39.2 billion dollars in 2010, an increase of 62% in 5 years

Phoenix Hispanic market is the 8th largest in the nation

Among top 10 markets, Phoenix ranks #1 in percentage of Hispanic population growth over the past five years

In addition, Hispanics' disposable income is projected to grow 60% by 2007. Compared to other markets, Arizona Hispanics share a common heritage and background. Over 75% are of Mexican origin, and in the Phoenix area, over 49% are bilingual or English-dominant. This trend increases their receptiveness to an English-based mass-market, in-culture advertising campaign."

Source: Phx Hispanic Scarborough Jul06, Selig Center for Economic Growth, Terry College of Business,The University of Georgia, May 2005; Datos 2006, 2006 Demographics USA

Hispanic dollars, there is no real way to separate the legal dollars from the illegal ones.

Answer 3

Its more like, they are committing more illegal acts than simply being here illegally!  SS fraud, Identity theft and on and on...  Deport them.

Answer 4

*LOL*  What I find funny and sad about this question is the fact that illegals pay taxes, the IRS knows they are illegal, and the INS doesn't follow their refund checks to the address and arrest them.

Answer 5

Did you know that the elderly members of these families become legal so that they can get SSI? So they are taking from SSA "legally".They also accept lower wages which drives wages down for everyone and they also take all the jobs that citizens WILL take. All this talk about "oh citizens wouldn't work in a field pulling up vegies" umm yeah not for $3.00 an hour. This is why these companies don't want to hire citizens because they would have to actually pay them a normal days wage.  

Answer 6

No,it's a fact. Illegal aliens do use up far more in benefits than they will ever give back in taxes on wal mart merchandise.

Answer 7

Stop with the propaganda machine!  And stop spouting erroneous and already refuted "data" as if it is going to bolster your pro-lawbreaker, apologist position.  With 14 million (or more) illegals working in violation of the law, that averages a contribution of $500 per worker -- that $7 billion is chickenfeed.  Worse is what illegal aliens are doing to our senior citizens -- stealing their identities and SSNs so that legitimate retirees have their pensions cut off and have to pay income taxes on the illegal aliens' earnings!

Immigration-law violators cost American citizens more than $1 Trillion per year more than anything they contribute in taxes.  Even those who claim to "pay taxes" are not paying more than the tiniest fraction of what they owe.  Average income tax paid by ITIN holders amounts to $5.18 per household (total of just over $30 million), but they also collected well over $2.2 billion in illegal child tax credits, so the net loss to US citizens still exceeds $2.1+ billion.

Answer 8

Illegals don't pay for their medical costs, they stick it to Mr. & Mrs. American taxpayer!  Many hospitals have shut down due to illegals not paying their bills!!  Women come across the border and go to the hospital to deliver their baby via C-section and she doesn't pay one dime.

Answer 9

NO - it is fact. And it still doesn't compare to the 9,000 American lives lost annually to illegals.

Answer 10

How the h**l are they paying into social security if they are ILLEGAL and NOT on any OFFICIAL payroll. The only things they provide for in the system is more work for they police (committing more crime), cheap labor for employers USING them (which is just modern day SLAVERY) and allowing more time off for our young people (being hired by these slave runners to do the jobs our younger people should be doing).

Answer 11

They use stolen identity to work and it goes into the system uncollected so it ok?  Where do you get the idea that illegals don't collect benefits?

Over 40% of illegals collect Earned Income Tax Credit.

over 25% of illegals use major welfare programs, almost doubling their income.

If the money paid in is beneficial and uncollected why is Soc Sec going bankrupt? Why is over $20 billion dollars a year paid out to illegal households? Why did  Tucson,AZ hospitals pay out over $66 billion in Emergency Room visits since 2005? Why was AZ court ordered to pay $40 million to teach english to spanish speaking students?

Illegals pay in about $7 billion but take out over $26 billion yearly.

Their low incomes plus their children's eligibility mean very significant costs to taxpayers in benefits, even if the illegal worker is barred from the programs.

Answer 12

No Misconception just fact!

I'll give you $7.00 in your right front pocket if you let me steal $338.3 from your wallet and you think this is a good deal?



How can this be possible when they are disqualified from nearly all means-tested government programs including food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid and Medicare-funded hospitalization.

How is it possible that they are illegal to be in the USA? Just because they are illegal to be here doesn't mean they are not here! A criminal in one area(immigration) is more likely to be a criminal in another(identity theft, fraud, etc)!  

Answer 13

Stop kidding yourself, illegals can and do get millions of government aid.Last year more than 4 million identity thefts occurred 89% of the offenders were illegal aliens. Just because your ss# is stolen does not nessicerily mean your Identity has been stolen,sometimes a stolen ss# can be used by many illegals at one time. A person with stolen ss# has to petition with the courts,Change both of your numbers, ss# and driver's license, then gaurd it with your life. Stolen ss# or id happens alot with children, as those victims are not apt to find out till they are old enough to work or apply for a loan. So there could be higher numbers than the census actually shows.

Answer 14

No, An 8% sales tax that illegals pay is nothing compared to the 32% legal citizens pay in taxes including income tax. Why are you so easily mislead? What happened that made you so ignorant to the actual facts. All of your posts are based on lies and misconstred information. Please stop trying to mislead our youth with this propaganda. Have you no shame? It must be stopped. Here is how.

Step One: Prevention:

Funding and immediate implementation of securing the borders, increasing ICE and Border Patrol manpower, and to establish a fully-cooperative relationship with state and local law enforcement agencies, imposing withdrawal of federal aid to all sanctuary cities.

Step Two: Change the laws.

Repeal anchor birthright laws, removing a huge incentive for people to enter illegally. Increase the crime of illegal entry into the US, overstaying visas, or permits to a felony, punishable by a minimum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment of a minimum of 36 months. Increase harboring/aiding illegal aliens to a felony punishable by $25,000 fine and/or imprisonment.

Simplify the forms for legal immigration applications, while maintaining standards for qualifications.

Step Three: Employment issues.

Institute requirements for employers to recruit American employees first at wages standard to the area. Penalties for those who fail to comply. Harsh penalities for those who continue to hire any illegal alien.Require all employers to PROVE need for immigrant workers, whether permanent or temporary. An independent study should be done to determine need and immigration quotas decided upon completion. When temporary worker permits are granted, the employer must assure the worker leaves the US when the permit lapses or face severe penalties.

Step 4: Limited amnesty for illegal aliens currently here.

Set firm STANDARDS to grant status to illegals already here with a declaration that this will be the final time the US grants any form of forgiveness to illegal aliens. All penalties for harboring and aiding illegal aliens be increased and enforced and that the US will expect cooperation from other nations, not protests and demands for laxity. Failure to cooperate will result in economic sanctions or reductions in foreign aid.

Standards:

a)A six months time limit for to report and apply for legal status. This is to prevent more from entering and applying.

Failure to report and apply with the time limit to result in automatic disqualification and deportation.

b) A very thorough background check, and disqualification of criminal illegal aliens including criminal activity here or in home nations. That would include repeat offenders who returned after deportation as well as those convicted of violent crime, identity theft, drug-trafficking, gang-related activities and property crimes. It would also have to exclude drunken-drivers who have caused death of others while driving drunk.

No exceptions. A clearly defined list of crimes which disqualify and no leeway for a judge to be lenient.

c) Applicants be required to report their work history in full to the government. This would help to determine back taxes they owe and identify employers of illegal aliens to prevent further such employment. Penalties on back taxes to be equal to those that would be imposed on citizens. Probationary status only until back taxes are paid.

d) Require all currently illegal aliens applying for status to be fluent in English, or to agree to become fluent within 24 months. Failure to comply results in revocation of status.

e) Require applicants for status to prove the ability to be financially stable and not require any welfare benefits, including food stamps, housing subsidies, etc. After 36 months, they would be entitled to services granted to legal immigrants when need is established. (Children's status to be based on the ability of the parents to meet this requirement.)

f) Applicants for status be required to maintain health insurance for themselves and their dependents. Status also be contingent on a thorough health-screening prior to authorization of status.

g) Submission of fingerprints and DNA sample to be added to data-bases.

Failure to meet standards results in denial of status and deportation. Following being granted status, failure to continue meet above standards result in revocation of status and deportation.

(In family situations, if parents without American born children {born prior to implementation of Step 2} fail to meet standards, their families will be deported with the parents. Families with an American born child that fail to meet requirements will be allowed to take child with them upon deportation or make arrangements to allow child to stay in US. They will have the choice and it will not be imposed upon them, unless proven leaving the child in their care poses a risk of abuse of the child by the parents.)

(Marriage to US citizen will not grant exceptions for non-compliance with above standards,

Answer 15

I believe your data is from 2005? It would be IMPOSSIBLE for social security to provide enough money for everyone... especially with millions of baby boomers approaching retirement. If there is such a surplus, then why are most retired people decideding if they should pay the electric bill or buy food to eat????

Answer 16

Of course they don't receive more benefits than they pay in taxes. I don't know a single illegals that collects welfare or food stamps. If by "collecting" they mean driving on the street and entering buildings then that is just ridiculous. They can't be blamed for something so stupid as that.

For those people who think illegals don't pay taxes you can take a look at my husbands paycheck stub. They take out federal taxes, state taxes, social security and even Medicare! How is this not paying taxes? My husband does not get anything in return.. AND he doesn't complain about it. When we (Americans) do our income taxes we get our taxes returned to us.. and then some.

Edit:

By the way every year less and less people are collecting welfare:

1996 - 11,533,710 people collected welfare

2000 - 5,527,071 people collected welfare

2006 - 4,074,689 people collected welfare

2007 - 3,880,321 people collected welfare

If 3 million collected welfare in 2007 and there are 20 million illegal aliens in the US, you can't actually believe that all (or even most) of the 3 million were illegals. It is proven that citizens collect more than illegals.

Answer 17

Totally untrue. Illegals pay more taxes than citizens do, but they get nothing in return.

Answer 18

If they work without a Social Security they don’t pay income tax – but that goes for anyone who gets paid “under the table”.

If they steal someone’s social security number---which many have, they can get a myriad of things from the government because the government is too lazy to police the system to make sure the right people assigned to said number are using it. (that's also called identity theft, that's a crime in America!)

AND! Lets not forget, they are still illegal. Do we not arrest people who steal---oh, but they were just trying to feed their family? They still stole, and they still get prosecuted when found! I don’t see why Illegal Immigrants should get any special treatments!