Illegal immigration reform issue to be pushed.

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich will meet with federal officials next week in Washington D.C. to push his reform package to address the high cost of illegal immigration in Los Angeles County and across the nation.  

“Illegal immigration continues to have a devastating impact on Los Angeles County taxpayers,” said Antonovich.  “When the nearly one half billion dollars spent on welfare is added to the costs of public safety and healthcare —  the total cost exceeds one billion dollars a year.  This does not even include the skyrocketing cost of education.”

Illegals collected nearly $20 million in CalWORKS assistance each month for the first two months of 2007 and an additional $15 million dollars in monthly food stamp allocations. 

$360 MILLION ANNUALLY IN HEALTH C AR E

$220 MILLION IN OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

$276 MILLION ANNUALLY IN CALWORKS PAYMENTS

$168 MILLION IN FOOD STAMPS.

“While legal immigration has provided a positive economic and cultural benefit for our County, State and Nation, illegal immigration reduces the quality of life and is an affront to those that follow the law,” Antonovich said.  “Illegal immigration causes American citizens and legal aliens to pay more for police protection, education, hospitals and healthcare costs.”

To develop a stable economy and reduce the exodus of Mexicans immigrating to America for jobs and opportunity, the United States government needs to encourage Mexico to privatize their state-run company.

Just as England, China, the Eastern European nations and the Dominican Republic have economically benefited through the selling of their state-run companies and a market-based economy, Mexico can also grow economically through public-private partnerships to increase opportunity for their citizens.

Establish a system of medical centers on the Mexican side of the border, staffed by American doctors and medical students along with Mexican doctors and students working cooperatively with local medical schools to provide service and share medical techniques while reducing the incentive for individuals to come here illegally.

Create a bonded guest worker program that allows an immigrant to work in our Country temporarily while bonded for any medical care they may need while in the United States .

Establish a trained reserve component of the U.S. Border Patrol similar to reserve units utilized by thousands of police and sheriff departments across the nation to increase the number of Border Patrol agents defending our borders.  

This program of reserve officers has been extremely successful and provided local law enforcement with a group of dedicated and trained law enforcement officers who serve at a minimal cost of only $1 a year in most cases.

Create a Social Security number verification system and employer hotline utilizing modern technology similar to that used by retailers for VISA and MasterCard processing which can verify an individual’s immigration status in seconds. 

Increase funding for more prosecutions by the United States   Attorney for those who violate immigration laws.

The federal government also needs to fully fund the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (S.C.A.A.P.) and all of the other unfunded services provided to illegal aliens to recognize the economic impact illegal immigration has on local government.