According to articles about ICE’s failed “Scheduled Depature” program, Jim Hayes, the man in charge of detention and deportation at ICE, has argued that: “The eight takers saved the government the $54,000 it would have cost to detain them, more than offsetting the program’s $41,000 price tag.”
I’m not a math major, but that comes out to about $6,750 to detain each undocumented alien prior to actualy deporting them. Wouldn’t it save taxpayers a fortune to use some other means of keeping track of these “fugitives”? This price tag will likely escalate exponentially as lawsuits are filed complaining that many aliens are being denied their constitutional Due Process rights as they are herded through the system following workplace raids. This will mean, under the current system, having to detain these aliens for longer periods of time at a higher cost. Furthermore, lawsuits alleging the negligent medical care of undocumented aliens who died while in ICE or CBP detention are also likely to cost taxpayers a fortune.
We need Comprehensive Immigration Reform now more than ever. I will be analyzing John McCain and Barack Obama’s immigration positions in future postings. If McCain chooses Mitt Romney as his running mate, watching the two of them explain their “united” immigration policy will be entertaining.
