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Stop undocumented immigrant deportation

Undocumented immigrants have come to the United States to escape horrendous conditions that include violence, rape, extortion and kidnapping at levels that none of us in the United States can even begin to imagine. Undocumented immigrants, however, are no different than the rest of us, in that they only want a safe place where they can earn an honest living and raise a family.

It has been falsely stated that undocumented immigrants are thieves, criminals and rapists. Data from 2020 from the Texas Department of Public Safety showed that the arrest rate for U.S. born citizens was 110 per 1,000 population, documented immigrants was 80 per 1,000 population and undocumented immigrants was the lowest at 40 per 1,000 population. This false premise is the reason used for the current deportation effort.

The cost to deport the estimated13 million people without documentation is estimated to be at least $315 billion, or about $24,000 per person! Undocumented immigrant workers also contribute huge tax amounts for programs that they mostly cannot use. In 2022 alone: $47 billion in federal taxes; $29 billion in state and local taxes; $22 billion to Social Security; and $6 billion to Medicare. This is incredible fiscal irresponsibility.

Finally, about 5 million U.S. citizen children live with an undocumented family member. The economic and emotional stress of family separation is something that we, as a society, should not tolerate. Contact your senator and representative in Congress to tell them to work to stop this inhumane and fiscally irresponsible deportation!

John Redemske

Durango