Skip to content
quotesby

What is seldom discussed in the immigration debate, unfortunately, is the incentives the US government provides for people to enter the United States illegally. As we know well, when the government subsidizes something we get more of it. The government provides a myriad of federal welfare benefits to those who come to the US illegally, including food stamps and free medical care. Is this a way to discourage people from coming to the US illegally? [...] Immigration reform should start with improving our border protection, yet it was reported last week that the federal government has approved the recruitment of 120 of our best trained Border Patrol agents to go to Iraq to train Iraqis how to better defend their borders! This comes at a time when the National Guard troops participating in Operation Jump Start are being removed from border protection duties in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas and preparing to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan! It is an outrage and it will result in our borders being more vulnerable to illegal entry, including by terrorists.

Ron Paul#84

PolicyWelfareImmigration

About this quote

What does it mean?
Paul claims government welfare for illegal immigrants creates incentives to enter illegally, and that border enforcement is being undermined.
In plain terms
He says benefits attract illegal entry and border agents are being sent elsewhere.
What can you take from it?
Policy incentives affect immigration behavior.

Where it applies

  • policy debates
  • budget discussions
  • public safety

Putting it to work

  • reform welfare eligibility
  • increase border patrol staffing

Questions to consider

  • Do welfare benefits truly drive illegal immigration?
  • What are the most effective border security measures?

Another view

Immigration motivations are multifaceted beyond just welfare benefits.

More from Ron Paul

  1. Adam Curry: The right to your own body, as a woman, do you not have the right to put in or take out of that body what you want? Ron Paul: You have responsibili…

    Permalink to quote #83
  2. A nation without secure borders is no nation at all. It makes no sense to fight terrorists abroad when our own front door is left unlocked.

    Permalink to quote #85
  3. John Lofton: Do you think abortion is murder? Ron Paul: Yes, but we have in our state laws, which enforce the law against murder, there are degrees. You have 1…

    Permalink to quote #82

Related quotes

  1. If we had those 40 million children that were [aborted] over the last 30 years, we wouldn't need the illegal immigrants to fill the jobs that they are doing to…

    Tom DelayTom Delay quote #1
  2. Let's just get to the political heart of the matter, No matter what you want to call it, beyond border enforcement, a lot of people, particularly on our side, …

    Lindsey GrahamLindsey Graham quote #1
  3. Welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.

    Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan quote #3