# Obama's executive amnesty will cost taxpayers $1.3 trillion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2015, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445 "2015-03-20T01:56:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/41 "2015-03-20T18:54:56Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > It’s no secret that a lot of illegal – er, um, “undocumented” – immigrants work for below market rates and below minimum wage. . This is not longer true, at least on any scale. The issue is “plausible deniability” . If you have a Juan Garcia and docs that show he is a legal resident with a SSN, etc and those docs turn out to be poor quality forgeries- well then if you are paying him legal wages etc, you wont be fined. But if the ICE agents raid you and find you have been paying him under the table, then you’re in a whole world of trouble- including the IRS- which no one wants to mess with. True, some individuals are still paid under the table, but that is no longer a hallmark of being a “illegal”. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/42 "2015-03-20T18:58:50Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > They don’t file income tax returns, but they pay a lot of taxes. Sure they file, why not? My Bro worked for the IRS, and “Illegals” sending their funds home to support their families was a standard audit. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/43 "2015-03-20T20:35:48Z")
> [@OffByOne](#): > > The Republicans have had very good success with their terrorism since 2001; this is more of the same. **Moderator Note** **OffByOne** , political jabs are not permitted in this forum. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/44 "2015-03-20T20:53:26Z")
I see links to sites that provide data that refute the claim in the OP, and I see a link to the actual report that was produced by someone who is with an organisation that has an interest in finding exactly what the report finds. Are there any sites that debunk the report specifically? (i.e., as opposed to sites that provide counter-data but do not address this specific report.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/45 "2015-03-20T20:56:18Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Are there any sites that debunk the report specifically? “I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.” - George Bernard Shaw Many dudes of some intelligence have learned not to argue with that pig. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/46 "2015-03-20T21:31:23Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > How is $45k in government benefits for anyone anywhere close to being a believable number? The most entitlement-using people I know might get a few hundred a month in welfare or disability and food stamps. Are they counting things like the use of public roads and police salaries? Yep, they sure are. As if those people aren’t _already_ using the roads, being rescued by the fire department if caught in a burning buildings, and so forth… ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/47 "2015-03-21T00:54:35Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Yep, they sure are. > > As if those people aren’t _already_ using the roads, being rescued by the fire department if caught in a burning buildings, and so forth… Which is basically what I was saying in post #27. They’re not figuring in the costs of the current situation, for which some form of amnesty seems to be the only realistic alternative. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/48 "2015-03-21T01:24:17Z")
> [@Doughbag](#): > > How can an illegal pay taxes? Working illegally? or buying something in a state with sales tax… or renting a place to live… or… ---
**Author:** ![Doughbag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Doughbag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughbag)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/49 "2015-03-23T13:37:24Z")
> [@Doughbag](#): > > What a weird concept. > We have the opposite problem, people claiming social welfare who are not entitled to it. > > But illegal immigrants can’t pay taxes, since they are illegal. If it’s illegal, how can you pay and why should you pay taxes. > Except for things they buy in a shop, sales tax etc… > [@Broomstick](#): > > Sales taxes, taxes on utilities, gas taxes, phone taxes… there are lots of taxes that aren’t income taxes. > [@rbroome](#): > > or buying something in a state with sales tax… > or renting a place to live… > or… Yes, **rbroome** thanks for pointing that out for the first time… nobody thought about that before. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/50 "2015-03-23T14:18:46Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Which is basically what I was saying in post #27. They’re not figuring in the costs of the current situation, for which some form of amnesty seems to be the only realistic alternative. NumbersUSA is a pressure group that is basically in the same boat as FAIR. To them, the “realistic alternative” is to deport everyone. I’m sure if you poke around on their website you’ll find something that shows we could do that for $4.80/person, but doesn’t take the cost of plane tickets, housing, administration and so on into account. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445/51 "2015-03-23T14:44:02Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > NumbersUSA is a pressure group that is basically in the same boat as FAIR. To them, the “realistic alternative” is to deport everyone. I’m sure if you poke around on their website you’ll find something that shows we could do that for $4.80/person, but doesn’t take the cost of plane tickets, housing, administration and so on into account. 😃 Not to mention the civil liberties questions that will arise as every one of millions who look or sound even vaguely hispanic will be asked to prove their citizenship within x days or be deported. Will people be allowed court hearings? Will the government pay their costs in obtaining that proof? Will they be held in custody until they do obtain that proof? I’m not even sure how this would be done. Immigration agents going door to door? Bounties for turning in your neighbors? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-executive-amnesty-will-cost-taxpayers-1-3-trillion/715445.md?page=2)