The Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector has pioneered research into the cost to the federal government over time of granting amnesty. Rector was the driving force behind welfare reform in the 1990s. Five years ago, Rector found that amnesty would likely cost taxpayers some $2.5 trillion. Over the last six months he has been putting the finishing touches on an updated study that calculates an even higher price tag.
Some may say we can solve this fiscal problem by granting amnesty without any government benefits. We all know that will never happen. As soon as any of the nearly 11 million unauthorized immigrants are given legal status, the political fight will turn to speeding their transition to citizenship and promises of a full array of federal benefits.
Delaying eligibility for federal benefits to newly legalized immigrants merely puts off the day of reckoning. The truly enormous costs come when unauthorized immigrants start collecting retirement benefits. Social Security, Medicare, food stamps and other entitlement programs already impose huge, unfunded liabilities on taxpayers; adding more recipients only makes the fiscal hole we find ourselves in much deeper.- USA Today
DeMints right! The same people pushing for amnesty for the current crop of illegal immigrants are not going to go away but, will then be pushing for government benefits for the the newly "legalized" illegals.
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