Illegals Cost S.D. $146 Million a Year, Study Says

The illegal-immigrant population of San Diego County costs about $146 million a year in local government services, a figure that surpasses the combined budget deficits of the city and county governments, according to a report released Wednesday.

The two-year study conducted by private consultants for the state auditor general’s office examined the impact of the county’s estimated 200,000 illegal immigrants--9% of the total population--on schools, law enforcement, health care and social services such as welfare.

The study results were unveiled in Sacramento at a hearing of the state Senate Special Committee on Border Issues, which is chaired by Sen. William Craven (R-Oceanside), who called for more federal aid to offset the fiscal strain on a county that is the gateway for half of all illegal immigration into the United States.

“It was determined that the costs outweigh the contributions of the undocumented,” Craven said. “The impacts . . . are even greater than anticipated.

“The conservative estimated net costs of services to the undocumented in San Diego County alone are enough to cover the 1991 budget deficits of the county of San Diego and all 18 cities in the region,” Craven said.

County officials immediately seized on the report as validation of the growing problems they say are caused by the steady influx of illegal immigrants to the region.

“I can only say I told you so,” said George Bailey, chairman of the County Board of Supervisors. “We’ve been crying about the cost of this for years, and now we can try to make the state and federal governments realize they have a responsibility to help pay the costs. It’s not just a local responsibility.”

Bailey said he hopes the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas do similar studies, and that all four states can make a case to the federal government for more aid.

Meanwhile, several migrant advocates who have expressed concern about the researchers’ methodology during the past year criticized the conclusions of the report and the failure of the committee to invite testimony from their organizations. Along with two Latino state legislators, they faulted the report for not exploring the benefits to society of illegal immigration.

“The backdrop of any discussion on the impact of immigrants must be that this young, cheap, flexible labor pool stimulates creation of new businesses and helps preserve labor-intensive ones,” said Claudia Smith, a lawyer with California Rural Legal Assistance. “If you are doing a cost-benefit analysis, how do you factor that in?”

The data is based on potentially inaccurate estimates by government agencies on how many of the people they serve are in the country illegally, Smith said.

Acting Auditor General Kurt Sjoberg said in an interview Wednesday that some data, such as school officials’ estimates of the undocumented student population, is more “subjective” than figures such as felony arrest statistics for illegal immigrants. He also pointed out that testimony indicated that some agencies may have undercounted their costs.

“There was a very low return of questionnaires from hospitals in San Diego County,” he said. “For whatever reason, they did not respond.”

Illegal immigrants cost state and local governments in San Diego County a total of $206,411,969, according to the report. The costs were divided into four areas:

* The criminal justice system, $105,754,121.

* Education, $60,666,755.

* Health services, $26,619,920.

* Social services, $13,371,173.

The same population generates $60,490,124 in state and local tax revenue, for a net cost in public services of $145,921,845, the report says.

Based on state population estimates, the report--prepared by two professors from San Diego State University’s School of Public Administration and Urban Studies--says the county contains about 5% of California’s total illegal immigrant population, which is concentrated in the Southern California area.

Extrapolating from the figures for San Diego County, the report estimates that undocumented immigrants cost state and local governments in California $3 billion.

The report mentions some of the benefits of illegal immigrant workers but does not examine a key issue in the debate over the costs and benefits of immigration: federal tax and Social Security revenues generated by illegal immigrants.

That drew criticism from state Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblyman Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), who cautioned that the limited focus of the study could foment an anti-immigrant backlash.

“The danger of reports of this nature is that they look at isolated aspects of immigration,” the legislators said in calling for a comprehensive study of all aspects of immigration.

Nonetheless, Craven said the information provides an important incentive for the state to scrutinize the results of illegal immigration. There will be further hearings on the issue, officials said.

“The magnitude of the impact must be determined and addressed,” Craven said.

Supervisor Bailey, who has not seen Craven’s report, said it probably doesn’t go far enough, and may not consider other effects of illegal immigration, such as air pollution caused by cars coming across the border that do not have to meet California’s rigid smog standards.

“We have to address all of these issues,” he said. “Pretty soon, the straw is going to break the camel’s back.”

Times staff writer Mark Platte contributed to this story.