Immigration Bill Has $126 Billion Price Tag

The immigration bill currently before the Senate would cost $126 billion over the next ten years according to the Congressional Budget Office. I must confess I really haven't figured out my position on this bill. That probably goes to the complexity of the problem as much as anything. What do you do with 12 million illegals? That's the crux of the disagreements and the vastness of the problem.

Santorum argues it's amnesty and Casey and others argue it's impossible to imprison then deport 12 million people, and doing so would cripple the economy and take precious law enforcement assets away from their normal duties. I'm not for amnesty. These people came here illegally and shouldn't be afforded citizenship. But how the heck do you deport 12 million people??? You cannot. The cost alone would be unbelievable, especially with such fervent anti-tax hysteria on the right.

Part of the cost of this program includes things like earned income tax credits, Medicaid and Social Security. That makes me uncomfortable, that these illegals would get some of those benefits. After all, they broke the laws when they smuggled into this country. The rule of law is paramount, as I'm wont to say. Are we simply going to ignore that fact?

It's a very difficult issue. First I think we have to secure the borders effectively. Then let's begin enforcing the laws and gradually detaining and deporting illegals so as not to disrupt the economy and spiral the costs into the stratosphere. These are areas where we completely failed and are why we're in this predicament. There weren't enough Border Control Agents and not enough INS agents rounding them up.

It's a tough issue. What are your thoughts?