Funding Fight Against Illegals

This is a rush transcript from "Your World with Neil Cavuto," September 26, 2007. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Meanwhile, another FOX News Alert: A major American city cracking down on illegals now want Washington to foot the bill.

San Diego officials today demanding the federal government pick up the tab. And it's a big one, estimated at about $101 million a year for its crackdown on illegal immigration.

With us now is County Supervisor Bill Horn. The supervisor is a Republican.

And, essentially, Bill, what you're telling the president is, look, the feds are not doing anything, and we can't afford to do this on our own, right?

BILL HORN, SAN DIEGO 5TH DISTRICT COUNTY SUPERVISOR: Well, Neil, it's turned out to be a major problem for us.

In the last 10 years, the illegal population has doubled. The cost of handling services for them has tripled. And before, when it was a $10 million problem, it was something that County of San Diego could handle. Now it has reached $101 million just out of our general fund, and it is a major issue for us.

And, if the federal government is going to have a policy of having a failed immigration policy — and that is what it is — and I have been around this for 13 years — I think they should foot the bill for this. The cost alone for incarceration, out of that $101 million, is $49 million a year for the County of San Diego.

The feds give us back in SCAP funding $2 million to handle the costs of their prisoners. So...

CAVUTO: All right. So, now you — people who don't know, geographically, you are a just a hop, skip and a jump away from the border, so it's a bigger problem for you.

But now the issue is, you know, whether you are responsible or the federal government is responsible, the federal government has essentially said the $2 million you have got thus far is all you're going to get. So, how do you make up that difference? Or do you?

HORN: Well, Neil, I have got people on probation costing me $10 million a year. They committed a crime. They have been convicted. They were not deported. And I have got them on probation. I think they ought to be deported.

I'm asking the federal government to do three things. They have got a suspense file on Social Security for people's numbers that did not match and moneys that were paid in. I would like to see them take some of that money and pay us back. We are losing $101 million a year on this. And, hop, skip and a jump, we are on the border with Mexico.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Bill, have you gotten any reaction?

HORN: Well, I have gotten from — you know, I have been working with Brian Bilbray, because I want him to carry something forward.

CAVUTO: Who is he? Who is he?

(CROSSTALK)

HORN: He is a congressman for the county — for San Diego.

CAVUTO: OK.

So, and what reaction have you gotten? What have they told you?

HORN: Well, he's — he told me he would carry this.

I would like to see ICE — and a lot of law enforcement agencies agree with me.

CAVUTO: Yes.

HORN: I would like to see ICE, if they get somebody convicted in Denver, and they deport them to Mexico, my sheriff's deputies ought to know that in their vehicle on a national network, that we have now arrested somebody that has already been deported. We don't have that coordination. And we need to have it.

CAVUTO: All right. All good points.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: All right.

Bill, I really do wish we had more time. This is a fascinating issue. I do want to steal you back, but we will see how this goes.

Bill, thank you very much.

HORN: All right. Thank you, Neil.

CAVUTO: All right.

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