SE Valley Times

U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who represents Arizona's 5th congressional district, discusses statistics released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) concerning the impact of illegal immigration on Arizona. The representative highlights the significant costs associated with this issue and outlines some potential solutions.

"Illegal immigration costs Arizonans at least $3.19 billion annually. This involves education, policing, healthcare, and more. Do you want more illegal immigration?", said Andy Biggs.

To illustrate these costs in a clear manner, FAIR provided statistics indicating the annual burden on Arizona taxpayers amounting to $1,189. The reported cost per immigrant exceeded $5,000, with taxpayers' funds allocated to over $1 billion in education expenses and over $600 million in legal costs. The overall projected cost for 2023 is expected to surpass $3 billion, according to an infographic made by FAIR and posted to the X platform by Biggs.

Alongside the economic implications of immigration, there are other significant concerns involved. The ongoing border situation has caused lawmakers to express mounting concerns about various critical issues. Key issues include human and drug smuggling and the growing influence of cartels in the region. In Southern Arizona, drug trafficking, particularly of the synthetic opioid Fentanyl which is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine has become a concern. To combat this, U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employs X-ray scanning technology, drug-sniffing dogs, and detectives to detect and confiscate these drugs according to ABC.

Efforts are being made at legislative level to address these complex challenges. In May,the House of Representatives approved the "Secure the Border Act of 2023," and legislators are now advocating for its passage in the Senate. The proposed legislation aims to "resume construction on the wall, tighten asylum standards, criminalize visa overstays, increase the number of Border Patrol Agents, and ensure that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has access to the criminal history databases of all countries of origin", among other provisions according to a press release from Senator Thom Tillis' office, a co-sponsor of the bill.

The issue is not confined to Arizona; cities across America are feeling its impact. "Illegal immigration is taking a massive toll on American cities", said Biggs according to a post on the X platform. "NYC has become so inundated with illegal aliens that the city is now slashing its public safety, sanitation and schooling budgets. The America you grew up in is unrecognizable."

FAIR itself offers some further perspectives on immigration reform. FAIR committed to reducing annual immigration to sustainable levels—from one million to below 300,000—is led by Dan Stein, the organization's President. The organization claims that immigration when kept within proper limits can have positive impacts. FAIR believes in respecting "basic human rights and dignity of all involved" according to the organizations website.