I think I should mention one other issue created by the potential admission of Haitians with AIDS. The Haitians at the naval base in Cuba would have been admitted to the country long ago but for the original 1987 amendment offered by the Senator and enacted unanimously by Senators present. You see they are not applying for immigration through normal channels. This administration obviously considers Haitians to be political refugees. But under the law anyone granted refugee status is automatically given welfare. and as DON NICKLES. PHIL GRAMM. and others have already said. that includes Medicaid and AFDC and other support funds on down the line. Now. estimates for the average cost of caring for an AIDS patient range from $102.000. according to HHS. to $200.000. according to a study done for the Department of Defense. And if we allow the 300 or so AIDSinfected refugees at Guantanamo entry we are looking at a potential cost to the taxpayers of $20 million in medical bills alone. and that is Just the tip of the iceberg. That is what PHIL GRAMM was talking about. that is what DON NICKLES was talking about. and that is what I am talking about. If we open the doors to thousands in Haiti infected with the virus. the American taxpayers are surely to be stuck with billions in medical costs.
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refugees refugee immigration