CAPS to Super Congress: Immigration Enforcement Helps the Budget, Helps the Economy, and Should Not Be Cut

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nonpartisan group, Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS), has noted that enforcement of laws against illegal immigration saves the federal government money and is one area that should not be cut by the new "super committee" in Congress.

"We understand that every American has concerns about certain parts of the budget, but the committee must distinguish between those cuts that actually reduce costs, and those that impose costs elsewhere. Enforcing our laws against illegal immigration reduces tax expenditures in other parts of the budget," said Marilyn DeYoung, Chairman of the Board of CAPS.

Most illegal immigrants do not pay income taxes, and the federal government spends three times as much on services and benefits to them as it collects in taxes. The burden on state and local governments is even greater as estimated tax revenue from illegal aliens covers only five percent of the public costs they impose.

"Enforcing immigration and labor laws opens up jobs for legal American workers. It reduces our horrendous unemployment rate and stimulates the economy and tax revenues," DeYoung stated.

Congress created The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to find at least $1.5 trillion in additional deficit reduction steps over a ten-year period by November 23, 2011. If it fails to do so, or if Congress does not approve its recommendations, then $1.2 trillion in automatic, across-the-board cuts will be triggered. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) budget is $5.82 billion, and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) budget is $11.84 billion, out of a total United States budget of $3.7 trillion.

"CAPS believes that massive illegal immigration has had a devastating impact on our environment and our infrastructure. Now it is part of our budgetary problems and economic malaise. Immigration enforcement makes sense for our budget, our economy, and our national security," concluded DeYoung.

www.CAPSweb.org

SOURCE Californians for Population Stabilization