Leftists often say illegal immigration isn’t a burden to taxpayers. The facts? They say something else.
While it’s true that illegal immigrants are prohibited from collecting federal benefits, their US-born children aren’t. A study conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) found that in 2012, sixty two percent of households headed by illegal immigrants used some form of public assistance. And while their families are more likely to draw from the system, illegals are less likely to pay in since many work under the table.
Granted, that’s not always the case: some work for employers who require a valid social security number, in which case taxes do get deducted. It’s something Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently trumpeted:
Although the congresswoman didn’t mention how “undocumented people” get those social security numbers, James Di Napoli can shed some light. A disabled veteran, Di Napoli went to college after leaving the Army. But when illegals started using his identity, he ended up somewhere else.
On the street.
As reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation, Di Napoli’s unexplained jump in income meant he was no longer eligible for financial aid and was required to pay back the money he had already received. Between that and the loss of his credit, Di Napoli life’s was torn apart, and he ended up homeless. Rep. Doug Lamborn took up Di Napoli’s cause, but the state of California wasn’t as concerned, with then state Attorney General Kamala Harris refusing to help find the identity thieves. Considering her rhetoric, that isn’t surprising:
And Di Napoli isn’t alone: a CIS report showed that states with the largest number of illegal immigrants also suffer from the highest levels of employment-related identity theft; the consequences can be devastating.
The reality is that open borders are costly. The toll comes in many forms, from gruesome crimes by MS-13 to an overburdened social safety net. But a price that’s rarely talked about? Someone stealing your entire life’s work with just simple digits.
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