Donald Trump’s immigration tab: $166 billion

a reply to: pavil

It wouldn't be costly if we didn't give them jobs and freebies and places of employment were fined or imprisoned for hiring them.

originally posted by: pavil
Too long of thread to see if this has been brought up.

1. So since we have let this problem fester to the point being costly to fix, we should just give up hope of fixing it ever?

2. Won't there be other benefits from actually enforcing our immigration laws? I'm sure it will cost lots to do that but there will also be lots of savings to be realized as well.

The cost of deporting 11 million (if that's even the number) people would be quite high, yes. Or we can grant amnesty and start over, as we've done before and allow them to pay their way as we all do.

There are both savings and losses to be realized...and yes that was covered too.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

The cost of keeping them is high. Free education for 12 years for their children, medical, welfare benefits for many of them etc. How could it possibly cost a fortune if we stopped hiring them and giving them benefits? Who would want to stay? Take away the incentives and they will leave on their own.

A "training exercise" that would focus on a round-up might scare enough to run back.

Reverse Psychology.

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: ~Lucidity

The cost of keeping them is high. Free education for 12 years for their children, medical, welfare benefits for many of them etc. How could it possibly cost a fortune if we stopped hiring them and giving them benefits? Who would want to stay? Take away the incentives and they will leave on their own.

It's more complicated than that. If you get a chance read over some of what Charlie's posted. And lso bear in mind that 11 million people would need to be out-proccessed. The costs are also outlined in various places throughout the thread.

And I see a lot of assumptions here, primarily as to all illegals being on welfare, not working and earning their healthcare as we all do. Most work. And they work hard.

How Realistic Is Donald Trump's Immigration Plan?

Kerry Talbot, an immigration lawyer who worked for Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was a key negotiator who helped come up with a bipartisan immigration bill that passed the Senate in 2013 (and failed in the House). She dismissed the idea of deporting everyone in the U.S. illegally.

"That's just not a solution that is workable," Talbot said. "It's not possible to deport 11 million people."

originally posted by: ~Lucidity




The cost of deporting 11 million (if that's even the number) people would be quite high, yes. Or we can grant amnesty and start over, as we've done before and allow them to pay their way as we all do.

There are both savings and losses to be realized...and yes that was covered too.

That solves this round perhaps, but without stemming the influx over the border, we won't ever solve this issue. I would be willing to compromise: a secured border first, and some sort of process to take care of those already here, provided they are productive and want to pursue path of some sort to citizenship, which would cost. Those here that don't want to pursue that path or have criminal issues, then I would deport. Securing the border first to stop the cycle has to happen before anything else.

a reply to: pavil

Compromise is always good. Kind of hard in this political climate though, especially with people like Trump running around spouting such grand, sweeping generalizations. He's got the whole GOP very worried about this issue.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

To be honest, a lot of Trump's immigration platform makes more sense than others I've heard.Not that I agree with it all or its perfect.

It galls me that high tech firms want more visas for lower cost skilled foreign workers when we are graduating a surplus of qualified US citizens to fill most if not many of those jobs. I personally know people who, as their last duties, have to train foreign workers as their replacements. That's wrong when we have U.S. workers here qualified for those positions.

An enforced border and enforced current immigration laws would be a good start. I know we can't deport all who are here now but we can setup a firm deadline for those here illegally to identify themselves and do some sort of procedure to legal status/citizenship. Any who don't identify by a set deadline or those who try to come in after that deadline SHOULD face possible or probale deportation.

a reply to: pavil

Yep. A lot of it makes sense on the surface. It's basically just common sense and easy to say. Its the costs of execution and to families of the more ambitious part that might be a huge problem.

a reply to: ~Lucidity
Trump's statements in that interview have many people thinking he intends to deport every illegal alien. He wasn't very specific and I can see how one would get that impression.

That's not what his website says, though. Either Trump is confused or he needs to be more clear. Suppose we will find out which over the next year.