Study Reports Illegal Aliens’ Cost in Services

The illegal immigrant population of San Diego County costs nearly $146 million a year in local government services, a figure that surpasses the combined budget deficits of area cities and the county government, 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.

It was unveiled in Sacramento on Wednesday at a hearing of the state Senate Special Committee on Border Issues, chaired by Sen. William Craven (R-Carlsbad), 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.”

But several immigrants rights advocates, who have questioned the researchers’ methodology, criticized the report’s conclusions and the failure of the committee to invite testimony from immigrant activist groups. Along with two Latino state legislators, they faulted the report for not fully exploring the benefits 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.

Smith said the data is based on government agencies’ estimates of how many of the people they serve are in the country illegally, Smith said. Those estimates might be inaccurate, she said.

Acting Auditor Gen. Kurt Sjoberg said in an interview Wednesday that some data, such as school officials’ estimates of the undocumented student population, were more subjective than others. He also said that testimony indicated some agencies may have undercounted their costs.

The report said illegal immigrants cost state and local governments in San Diego County a total of $206 million. The same population generates $60,490,124 in state and local tax revenues, for a net cost in public services of $145.9 million, the report said.

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