California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris went on the attack Wednesday, calling President Donald Trump’s plan for a border wall a “gross misuse of taxpayer money.”
Funding Trump’s unrealistic border wall would be a gross misuse of taxpayer money.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 5, 2018
Harris, who is expected to be a on the Democrats’ 2020 bench, was quickly reminded by her followers that illegal immigration — which a more secured border would likely reduce — is costing her home state over $25 billion annually.
Who wants to tell her how much illegal immigrants cost taxpayers annually? https://t.co/34c3JNXSfW
— Chet Cannon (@Chet_Cannon) April 5, 2018
Actor James Woods took a slightly more direct approach.
Like your salary? https://t.co/5Ps2nLN9e8
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) April 5, 2018
Harris’ state is home to some 2.5 million illegal immigrants, which amounts to only 6 percent of the population of California, but one-fourth of the illegal immigrants in the United States.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform, in a 2014 study, found that California alone spent over $12 billion annually on public education (and an additional $2 billion to teach English as a second language) for children who were undocumented. Another $4 billion went to healthcare, over $800,000 to “public assistance services” (welfare), and over $4 billion was spent by the justice system to handle cases involving people in this country illegally.
The taxpayers are also likely to be on the hook for anything Governor Jerry Brown spends in legal efforts to prevent President Trump from cracking down on sanctuary cities and states.