A new report by the Congressional Budget Office has released an estimation of the costs associated with implementing the House Judiciary Committee’s bill called the SAFE Act. This is widely looked down upon by immigration advocates who feel that this bill would destroy community trust and cooperation.
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Immigration enforcement is already the single largest line item for federal law enforcement. Now, according to the report, taxpayers would be responsible for paying about $23 billion over the next five years. The costs of implementing the SAFE Act are more than a one-time expense and may from over time which would require more funding each year. The Act ensures that the federal government pay the bill for law enforcement that are involved in unneeded immigration enforcement. Furthermore, the Act would hire over 5,000 additional deportations officers costing over $5 billion over the next five years. Critics are saying this bill has many unnecessary expenditures that not everyone agrees about. The CBO score is not even able to calculate the costs that will stem from the bill once it is up and running.
The government already spends about $4 billion on immigration and border enforcement which is more than all other federal law enforcement activities combined. Because of the disjointed laws that are already causing chaos, adding another bill on top of the enforcement will only create a more calamitous situation. Proponents of the bill say it would have many positive aspects such as increasing counterproductive spending and aiding law enforcement on cracking down on immigration. However, immigration advocates are hoping that lawmakers will focus on creating one large bill that will boost the economy, take care of immigration laws and offer a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are still waiting for a solution.
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