It’s amazing how things get misconstrued. It’s even more amazing how things are not misconstrued but deliberately taken out of context and made to look racist and xenophobic for the benefit of those who have something to gain from their own dishonesty. Such is the case with Donald Trump’s recent comments. Funny, though, how he is polling very high amidst these truthful comments.
Trump has tapped into the anger and frustration many have for the lawbreaking epidemic that is illegal immigration. There really is nothing racist, xenophobic, or even mean-spirited and nasty about what Trump said. What he said was truthful and for some the truth is uncomfortable.
It’s uncomfortable for Democrats because they rely on the Latino vote. If Democrats have to admit the truth about illegal immigration, which they rarely do, if at all, they risk losing support from Latinos, one of their largest voting blocs. The truth is also uncomfortable for the establishment GOP, RINOs and big business Republicans because they rely on cheap labor and don’t want to alienate Latinos. It shouldn’t be uncomfortable for any American, however, because any way one looks at the problem, illegal immigration is a drain on the economy and a net cost to taxpayers. That fact should be party neutral and something no American should tolerate.
A simple look at the numbers and one can plainly see the obvious and undeniable toll illegal immigration has had on our economy and well-being as a society. The numbers are really quite staggering. A study conducted by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) as recently as 2013 found that illegal immigration costs American taxpayers $113 billion. With a very generous estimate of 11.5 million immigrants here unlawfully, that amounts to $1,117 per “native-headed household,” according to the study.
The study reveals that $52 billion of the total cost goes toward educating illegal alien children. Other areas which absorb the high cost include medical services such as emergency medical care, Medicaid for children, Medicaid for childbirth and Medicaid fraud. Law enforcement is another area which drives up the cost to taxpayers. Having to arrest, investigate, prosecute and imprison illegal aliens places an undue fiscal burden on our law enforcement system. Then there are public assistance programs which include free meals, housing assistance and childcare.
Not only does illegal immigration cost taxpayers in real dollars, but the effects result in lost jobs to Americans. Every time a company or corporation hires an illegal alien, another American citizen becomes displaced. It is costing us dearly. The adage that illegals are just here to do the jobs Americans won’t do is a disproven talking point. Let’s not pretend that they’re mostly doing agricultural jobs. That is a small percentage of jobs in the workforce sector. It is the exception more than the rule.
Many people here illegally work in the hospitality, restaurant, landscaping and construction industries. These are all areas that most Americans have no problem working in. The reason many illegals get those jobs is that employers are unlawfully hiring them and taking advantage of cheap labor in the process. Yes, it is also a fault of employers breaking the law, but it is also a fact that those who are here illegally are also breaking the law. The blame goes both ways.
So when Donald Trump rightly points out what illegal immigration is doing to our economy and how it is hurting American families, he is being truthful. And what a refreshing quality in a presidential candidate for a change.
