A Forum For Community Issues : Second Opinion : COMMENTARY FROM OTHER MEDIA : EASTSIDE SUN : Washington Must Share Burden of Undocumented

The Clinton Administration’s failure to provide funds in the federal budget to relieve the impact of providing services to undocumented immigrants is a severe blow to states like California that are home to large numbers of undocumented immigrants.

It signals to us, as it will to others, that if there is a way the states can relieve themselves (other than asking for federal help) from the cost of providing services to these immigrants, they should do so. The result, we fear, will be further scapegoating of immigrants as the cause for the state’s financial woes and worsening of an already virulent anti-immigrant wave of sentiment.

The fact is that the services now being provided to these immigrants are the result of federal mandates and federal failure to develop and implement sensible and humanitarian programs to deal with undocumented immigrants. The resulting burden placed on a few states is unfair, given the fact that undocumented immigrants also pay income taxes and excise taxes, which flow directly to the federal treasury along with their Social Security and unemployment taxes, taxes they are forbidden to collect.

At the very least, those taxes which are paid and uncollectible by undocumented immigrants should be returned to the states, along with 80% of the cost of providing mandated services. This would be a fair and equitable solution to this very thorny problem.

The Eastside Sun is a Latino weekly published Thursdays in Los Angeles.