Subsidizing The Education Of Illegal Aliens Does Not Make Good Economic Sense
Aug 9, 2011
Miami, FL (Law Firm Newswire) August 8, 2011 – Each state faces its own economic dilemma when it comes to illegal immigrants – people who cost each state and the nation a lot of education dollars.
Legal immigrants are welcome. It is the illegal ones that are sucking the economic life out of many of the state’s educational coffers. For instance, there is one state shelling out $1.4 billion a year in costs relating to illegal aliens in the areas of health care, prison expenses and education from K-12. Sure, these immigrants pay sales taxes and income tax, but that just does not cut it when it comes to maintaining the economic stability of a state.
Many people feel that there needs to laws in place, and followed, when it comes to illegal aliens; that it is time to stop rewarding illegal activities. And here is where the rubber meets the road. Many Americans are asking why they need to subsidize in-state tuition benefits for illegal aliens, and why some state legislatures are voting to put provisions like that in place. This kind of legislation simply encourages more illegal immigrants to pull up stakes and come live in that state. Can the state afford that?
The likely answer to that question is, “No, the state can’t afford it,” and furthermore, what state could afford to find and extra million or billion dollars to educate illegal aliens? “In case no one has noticed, the nation is in an economic crisis, and shelling out money for illegal aliens to get an education at our expense is not going over well. And yet, some politicians think it’s the right thing to do; totally forgetting that if they rob from special state funds to accomplish that goal, they will eventually run out of money and then what?” asked Larry S. Rifkin, managing partner at Rikfin & Fox-Isicoff, an immigration law firm with law offices in Miami, Florida and Orlando, Florida.
It makes no sense to commit to paying out more money a state or nation does not have, when they cannot even keep up with their regular and usual expenses. In actual fact, rather than spend money they do not have, states contemplating boosting their education subsidies to illegals ought to cut spending. “Let’s take a look at a quick example. You can do the math,” Rifkin said.
For example, in the State of Maryland, the in-state cost for a year at university is approximately $8,416. Others will pay $24,831. Those with calculators already know that the difference would work out to be $16,415. That is a hefty education subsidy on behalf of the legal residents of the state for illegal aliens who will not be able to work legally in the U.S. when they graduate. In other words, states need to stop subsidizing their education. It is not done for foreigners here legally or US citizens from other states.
The bottom line is that bills like the one in Maryland, circumvent the law and cost taxpayers money they do not have, and for what reason? “The politicians want to curry favor with illegal immigrants? Who knows, but it’s clearly not the right thing to do to be spending money you don’t have on people who can’t contribute to the nation’s wealth later,” Rifkin said.
To learn more or to contact an Orlando immigration attorney or Miami immigration lawyer, visit http://www.rifkinfox.com.
Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, P.A.
1110 Brickell Avenue
Suite 210
Miami, Florida 33131
Toll Free: (866) 681-0202
