SCVNews.com | Opinion/Commentary: Illegal Immigration: Too High a Toll

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Illegal Immigration: Too High a Toll

Commentary by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich

Supervisor Mike Antonovich | Sunday, Sep 7, 2014

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Legal immigration is a vital and necessary resource to enhance our economy and culture. Illegal immigration is an affront to those who follow the law.

While Mexico relies on more than $20 billion in annual remittances from Mexican expatriates in the U.S., illegal immigration continues to cost Los Angeles County taxpayers alone nearly $2 billion a year and siphons resources away from vital municipal services for legal immigrants and county residents.

Our healthcare delivery system has become the HMO for the world, and our education system is failing.

In public safety, 25 percent of our county jail inmates are illegal – and the cost of illegals on our county’s justice system is $550 million per year, including incarceration, prosecution, defense and probation.

More important, however, is the human toll of illegal immigration.

Jonathan Del Carmen Refugio, arrested for the murder of USC graduate student Xinran Ji, entered the country illegally – yet the victim’s parents were delayed in entering the country legally to claim their son’s body.

Sadly, Xinran Ji joins Sheriff’s Deputy David March of Saugus, local high school football player Jamiel Shaw and countless more who have been victimized by illegal alien criminals.

In addition to vigorous border enforcement and an end to no-cost, cradle-to-grave federal and state benefits for illegals, as well as reimbursement for costs incurred by local governments, effective immigration reform must include a comprehensive approach to fix our broken system.

To address the costly impact of illegal immigration, I have proposed to federal and state officials effective solutions including: the establishment of cooperative medical clinics on the Mexican side of the border employing both American and Mexican medical personnel; a federal guest worker program that requires workers to be “bonded” to cover any cost they incur while working in the United States; and the establishment of a trained reserve component for our Border Patrol similar to what local law enforcement has, to enforce the security of the border.

Further, the federal government should place pressure on Mexico to restructure and privatize its state-run monopolies, including its oil companies, and embrace a market-based economy which will help her grow economically through public-private partnerships to increase opportunity for Mexican citizens.

Our nation is a melting pot of immigrants, but illegal immigration has grown into a human rights crisis characterized by a wave of violence, murders, kidnappings, human trafficking and exploitation. It is tearing at the fabric of our society, and the economic and social toll impacts every aspect of American life.

Rather than amnesty and continued programs that incentivize illegal immigration, our nation needs comprehensive reform to restore justice and public safety to improve the quality of life for our citizens and those who come here legally.

5th District Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich is mayor pro-tem of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

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10 Comments

TeaPartyImmigrationCoalition says:

Sunday, Sep 7, 2014 at

We are pleased that someone in California has some sense. While we don’t completely agree on his solutions, we do congratulate him on his intelligent assessment of the problems facing Los Angeles, California and America/
While we don’t think the guest worker program as outlined will work without increased funding for ICE and the Border Patrol, it is a good starting point for discussions. We fell that it is absolutely necessary for Mandatory E Verify with criminal penalties for employers and government workers who fail to use the system. Furthermore, we think that Anchor Babies must end. H1B visa fraud must end. We also think that our military must either insist on being invited in or we must invade Mexico to rid the world and the Western Hemisphere of the Cartels. They are now an existential threat to the security of several nations including America.Tea Party Immigration Coalition facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/tpimmigrationcoalition

Reply
Basilio Infante says:

Sunday, Sep 7, 2014 at

I knew this page was biased

Reply
Shane Weeks says:

Sunday, Sep 7, 2014 at

How do you know is it biased Basilio?

Reply
Dorene Tapp says:

Sunday, Sep 7, 2014 at

Oh my. A politician who can actually speak the truth about the impact of illegal immigration.

Reply
Concerned says:

Monday, Sep 8, 2014 at

If you are serious about this problem email your politicians and the President of Mexico and tell them what you think.

A friend last night told me a story. He is remodeling his house and has an illegal mexican working for him. He told me he makes $25 under the table and sends everything back to Mexico to his wife and kids. He is on welfare in the United States even though he makes $52,000/year under the table. He uses our (California’s) social and natural resources. I live in an apartment complex surrounded my illegal immigrants from south of the border. Most of them have at least 4 children and collect welfare. Not that I have an issue with welfare but I feel our social and natural resources are reserved for our citizens to hep them make a better life.

Mexican President (FYI there is not an option to choose “American” when selecting “Nationality”. Select any nationality to move forward in the form.)

http://en.presidencia.gob.mx/contacto/

Jerry Brown

https://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php

White House

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

United We Dream (pro illegal alien group)

http://unitedwedream.org/about/contact/

http://unitedwedream.org/

tell them your dream

http://unitedwedream.org/dreams/

Reply
Charles U Farley says:

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 at

I’d like to know what an “illegal Mexican” is. Also, Concerned, I’d like to know the name of you friend, who’s the real exploiter here, using an “illegal Mexican” to remodel his house for cheap. I think there are a number of State and Federal agencies who’d be interested into looking into that arrangement.”Illegal South of the Border” types will continue to come her to sell their labor because the demand for their labor is high. BTW you’re sitting in Alto California, a territory that was stolen from Mexico in the name of Manifest Destiny in 1848. Not that history matters, though, right?

Reply
- TeaPartyImmigrationCoalition says:
  
  Wednesday, Sep 10, 2014 at
  
  @ Charles U Farley,
  California was not stolen by anyone. It is a false narrative from Mexico and La Raza who hope to steal the Western USA from us. You, sir, if you are a Real American, are, therefore, by definition, a traitor.
  
  Reply
- TeaPartyImmigrationCoalition says:
  
  Monday, Sep 15, 2014 at
  
  An illegal Mexican is, by definition, one who is unlawfully present in America.
  And no, you are manifestly incorrect: California was the Bear Republic and became by consent a State of America. You are pushing the false narrative of the subversive and dangerous cult, La Raza
  
  Reply
Charles U Farley says:

Monday, Sep 15, 2014 at

Hey TeaPartyImmigrationCoalition,

I served my country in uniform, so don’t even dare to refer to me as a traitor. I also earned the right to question the historical narratives of the United States, and in doing my own historical research, I’ve read the documents of the Tyler and Polk Administrations, the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and the memoirs of the people involved in the Mexican-American War. Even President Ulysses S. Grant considered that war, in which he served, to be a great theft of territory. Instead of branding people as true or false citizens, why don’t you pick up a history book or two and visit a few libraries – you might learn something.

Reply
- TeaPartyImmigrationCoalition says:
  
  Monday, Sep 15, 2014 at
  
  Mr Farley, despite your heroic service and we wish to thank you for it, a traitor is anyone who supports the invasion of one’s country by hostile forces. Inasmuch As we have been invaded, if you are, ipso facto, a traitor. We’re sorry for you if you don’t understand why we label them as invaders: please do the research. By any definition, they are invaders. By their own mouths, they come here to take what is rightfully ours. And they come here to steal our land, our treasury, our lives and our jobs. Our healthcare, our education and all of our institutions are either at or soon will be at risk.
  
  Reply

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