This bill puts the health and development of little children at risk. needlessly. in the name of cost savings. This kind of false economy is unconscionable. Finally. the bill is terribly unfair to legal U.S. immigrants. These are lawful U.S. residents who played by the rules and became legal residents by faithfully following our laws. Mr. Chairman. U.S. immigration law is a matter of national policy. The Federal Government decides how many legal immigrants are allowed into our country each yearnot Dade County. and not the State of Florida. Since these are Federal decisions. the Federal Government must pay. But this bill says that local taxpayers must pay. Legal immigrants are not a drain on our economy. in fact. they earn an estimated $240 billion each year and pay over $90 billion in taxes in the United States. Many of them serve in our Armed Forces. By working. paying taxes. and creating jobs. legal immigrants more than carry their weight. The fact that they are not yet U.S. citizens in no way increases the burden on the Government. Mr.
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