California Budget Deficit Rake up Issue of Illegal Immigrants
July 10, 2009 – 11:23 am
With a budget gap that is worsening and has now grown to $26.3 billion, California lawmakers are confronting a major political issue of whether taxpayers should provide services to illegal residents. Anti- illegal immigration activists have launched a campaign for an initiative that would, inter alia, cut off welfare payments to the U.S. born children of illegal immigrants. State welfare officials estimate that cutting off payments to illegal immigrants for their U.S. born children could save $640 million annually if it survives legal challenges. California accommodates 2.7 million illegal residents, according to an April 2009 report from the authoritative Pew Hispanic Center, accounting for about 7% of the state’s population. State officials estimate that they add between $4 billion and $6 billion in costs, primarily for prisons and jails, schools and emergency rooms. Meanwhile, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said it is wrong to blame illegal immigrants for the state’s fiscal problems.
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