Should illegal immigrants be made to pay for their own rescue costs?
On Thursday, in answer to a 911 call, border patrol agents found two men dead. The East Valley Tribune reported on Saturday, “The events that led to the discovery of the two men from Mexico began on Wednesday when a man called 911 in Phoenix to report that two of his family members had called from their cell phone reporting they were lost and in need of help in the desert near Ajo, said Mike Scioli, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman.†The Tribune further reported, “With the help of a National Guard helicopter, agents searched through the night. They found the group on Thursday southwest of Gila Bend, about 10 miles west of State Route 85, Scioli said. Two of the six people had already died. Borstar agents gave the four survivors first aid and called for life flight helicopters to take them to a hospital. The father and son who called their family member in Phoenix were among the survivors. After receiving treatment, they were set up for return to Mexico.†I do not know the dollar amount of this rescue, but I’m willing to bet it was not cheap and it is the taxpayer who must foot the bill. In Arizona we have a law that passed back in 1995; it is the Stupid Motorist Law. This statute states that any motorist who becomes stranded, after ignoring and driving around barricades to enter a flooded stretch of roadway, may be charged for the cost of his/her rescue and face a fine of up to $2,000. Could not similar legislation be enacted when dealing with those who enter Arizona illegally and get lost or become ill in the desert? Those requiring rescue, medical attention, life flight helicopters and possible hospitalization, not to mention transportation back to their home country? According to the Tribune article, “Borstar agents have been sent out 270 times between Oct. 1 and July 13 and nearly 45 percent of the calls came through 911, Agundez said. That percentage has been increasing for several years as more illegal border crossers carry cell phones.†When anyone, regardless of who they are or their circumstances is lost, ill or injured in the desert, their rescue should be handled as an urgent priority. No one wants to see avoidable and unnecessary deaths. But like The Arizonan, who chose to ignore warnings about dangerous road conditions, must pay, should not the same be expected for those who knowingly take great risk to enter Arizona illegally and wind up needing costly state services?
Immigration - 20 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
No, simply because illegal immigrants tend to not have any money. If they had enough money to pay for a rescue, they wouldn't be trying to illegally immigrate.
2 :
Also insurance would be nice and birthing cost.
3 :
Good luck collecting that. Why create another system of bureaucracy for a futile cause?
4 :
yes , they can work it off on huber law while in jail for ILLEGAL immigration , then we would be more like Sweden.
5 :
these peons have no money no education and no ethics how in the world can a mentally challenged illegal repay.
6 :
They shouldn't be rescued.
7 :
Yes!!! A work farm would be great!! In addition, those guys who are running interference for the dope smugglers will wind up in a six month detention, and suddenly that won't be a good idea anymore.
8 :
It wouldn't matter if they passed a bill like that. Those people don't have the money to pay it either way it goes and we really can't just deny them services if they need it. I HATE illegal immigration and all the damage it does to the country that I love, but it would be cruel to leave people out in the desert to die just because they can't pay. So even if there was such a bill and it passed, the cost would still go onto the taxpayer because the illegals simply do not have the money to foot the bill. It would just be an added cost to taxpayers for wastes legislation like that.
9 :
A Spit in the ocean. Compared to the 1350 billions bankers got just so they could remain rich. WhiteyScum like to pick up excuses for their hate. Funny they never needed one for the brown hispanic Americans. Who gives a shiit I am glad u WHITEY SCUM SOBs do not like it . U SOB PUTAS Deserve much worse for oppressing the brown hispanics.
10 :
I'm sorry but I agree it is not our responsibility to save them. They put themselves in this position. Why are the family they contacted not investigated and status checked. Seems like they were intending to aid and abet these illegal and should be prosecuted for the intent. If we have to save them, prosecute them, put them in jail for the 6 months the law states and like another said, make them work off the cost on a work farm. No I do not feel they deserve to be treated as human beings if they are coming here like animals. false accusations are a violation aren't they, are you as tired of their bull as I am. I find it a compliment that we are on the same page in the illegal debate, but this calling us by each other and thinking that there is not more than one person against illegals is getting ridiculous. I am also tired of them not answering the question, but just ranting how bad of people we are. we will never be as bad as any illegal.
11 :
At the average cost of $330 billion a year the illegal population is one big money pit. Such is the cost of being a humanitarian country.
12 :
I think either they should pay themselves, or they should give up the names of their contacts in the United States in exchange for their release back into Mexico.
13 :
Well, sure they should. But chances are that when they deport them they will never hear from them again. So, They could charge but they wont get any money.
14 :
A nice step in the right direction but too little, too late. Obie is marshalling up his 'citizen army' to deploy to the border states (especially those with Mexico) as Mexican Federal Agents cross our border to help assimilate the oppressed Mexican people by their corrupt government (Thank you IMF/World Bank/Federal Reserve) with the aware angry & the complacently ignorant U.S. citizens into the New Regional World Order. Aren't those regional 'FEMA' camps looking mighty special now folks? Locked & loaded & armed to the teeth...come get me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XWkSUcrDQI&feature=related
15 :
To those who say illegals have no money, then how are they able to pay for Coyotes. Coyotes aren't cheap. I think they are culpable for part of th rescue cost, but we lack the ability to enforce it. Ambulances is not a free service. Most of their assets are in Mexico and Mexico is not cooperative in these matters.
16 :
Bomshell (aka Kize & Wolf), I agree with Paco, you are a heartless women. My answer is NO!
17 :
No! firefighters and rescue personnel wouldn't stoop down to your level.
18 :
Yes,and the cost for their hospitalization when they are injured crossing the border illegally. If I was stupid enough to do something to put my life in danger and got injured as a result,I would have to pay for my own medical bills and rescue costs if they determined that my actions were intentionally negligent.
19 :
Why not! Then when the illegal gets an illegal job they can withhold a certain amount each week until the debt is paid off. They need to do the same thing for baby deliveries.
20 :
Just to let the readers of the piece know, this is an article that I wrote for examiner.com on July 20, 2009. When a reprint is made of a writers work, it needs to be credited to that writer, otherwise it can be viewed as plagiarism. Not a good thing. Thanks for your time, Christina Wijfjes-Smit