Roy Exum
A refugee, by legal definition, is “a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.” An illegal immigrant, again by acceptable definition, “refers to the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country, or the continued residence of people without the legal right to live in that country.” So, what do we do with Daisy Perez, age 42, who is carrying her two children across the Suchiate River that divides Guatemala and Mexico.
She cites endemic poverty, increasing gang violence and a country in ruins. Daisy vows she will never return to Guatemala but the question is: Should Daisy be a refugee or an illegal alien? And what about the 4,000 or so who are with her and are trudging this very minute to the southern border of the United States – a mecca to every disenfranchised people from all over the world?
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee increased the legal arrival of refugees during his first year in office by a whopping 46 percent. That’s twice the amount of the other states that increased the welcome at 22 percent. Since his inauguration last January, 595 refugees have resettled in Tennessee. In Chattanooga approximately 70 new neighbors arrived in 2019. BREAKDOWN: Iraq 6, Sudan 15, Ukraine 4, Afghanistan 5, Chad 4, Columbia 27, and Congo 10.
Since they arrive with little-to-nothing, they are totally dependent on the government (taxpayers) and here is how that works:
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From THE FEDERATION OF AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
At the end of 2016, the United Nations estimates that a record-setting 65.3 million people had been forcibly displaced from their homes due to conflict or persecution. Many of those people will seek refuge in the developed countries of the West, including the United States. Reflecting America’s long tradition of providing refuge to the oppressed, we have admitted over 3.5 million people since 1980 and 96,900 refugees just in the last year in 2016.
As the nation considers what levels of immigration we can fiscally and environmentally sustain, it is important to understand the costs of resettling both refugees (people seeking refugee status abroad) and political asylum seekers (those applying for refugee status from within the United States).
According to a new study released by FAIR, the annual cost to U.S. taxpayers is $1.8 billion and over five years, that financial burden skyrockets to $8.8 billion.
Those figures are only estimates because refugees will access welfare and other government assistance at different rates and the number of refugees entering the U.S also changes from year-to-year.
Using the most recent admissions figures, data on federal and state public assistance programs, and information from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), our analysis found:
* -- The cost per refugee to American taxpayers just under $79,600 in the first five years after a refugee is resettled in the U.S.;
* -- In 2016, the State Department spent nearly $545 million to process and resettle refugees, including $140,389,177 on transportation costs;
* -- Of the $1.8 billion in resettlement costs, $867 billion was spent on welfare alone;
* -- In their first five years, approximately 54 percent of all refugees will hold jobs that pay less than $11 an hour;
* -- $71 million will be spent to educate refugees and asylum-seekers, a majority of which will be paid by state and local governments.
* -- Over five years, an estimated 15.7 percent of all refugees will need housing assistance, which is roughly $7,600 per household in 2014 dollars.
At present, the United Nations estimates that there are approximately 65.3 million people who have been forcibly displaced from their homes by conflict or persecution. Many of those people will seek refuge in the developed countries of the West, including the United States.
America has a long tradition of providing refuge to the oppressed. We admit both refugees (people seeking refugee status abroad) and political asylees (people requesting refugee status from within the United States). And doing so is consistent with our history and our values. But the way in which we integrate refugees/political asylees into our society has changed drastically over the years.
Most refugee/asylee resettlement expenditures come in the form of cash assistance, welfare programs and other social services. Federal welfare programs that refugees and asylees can access include the following:
* -- Federal Budgeted Costs to Refugees/Asylees - $777,443,000
* -- Office of Refugee Resettlement - $316,747,000
* -- State Department - $460,696,000
* -- Welfare Costs for Refugees/Asylees $867,004,000
* -- Medicaid - $320,551,000
* -- SNAP - $127,769,000
* --TANF - $134,214,000
* --Supplemental Security Income - $224,518,000
* -- Refugee Cash Assistance - $18,593,000
* -- General Assistance - $41,359,000
* -- Education Costs for Refugees/Asylees $71,275,000
According to ORR, refugee’s earnings are meager throughout their first five years in the United States, increasing from $10.22/hour to $10.86/ hour – only a 6.3 percent increase over five years, on average. This means they are unlikely to pay any federal income taxes, and could end up receiving a net credit from the federal government when programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit are considered.
CONCLUSIONS -- Based on the above data, refugees (including recipients of political asylum) cost American taxpayers nearly $1.8 billion, annually, or approximately $8.8 billion over five years. This totals $15,900 per refugee, annually, or just under $79,600 per refugee over their first five years in America.
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EXECUTIVE ORDER – SEPT. 26, 2019
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Purpose. In resettling refugees into American communities, it is the policy of the United States to cooperate and consult with State and local governments, to take into account the preferences of State governments, and to provide a pathway for refugees to become self-sufficient. These policies support each other. Close cooperation with State and local governments ensures that refugees are resettled in communities that are eager and equipped to support their successful integration into American society and the labor force.
The Federal Government consults with State and local governments not only to identify the best environments for refugees, but also to be respectful of those communities that may not be able to accommodate refugee resettlement. State and local governments are best positioned to know the resources and capacities they may or may not have available to devote to sustainable resettlement, which maximizes the likelihood refugees placed in the area will become self-sufficient and free from long-term dependence on public assistance. Some States and localities, however, have viewed existing consultation as insufficient, and there is a need for closer coordination and a more clearly defined role for State and local governments in the refugee resettlement process. My Administration seeks to enhance these consultations.
Royexum@aol.com