Catering, cable TV, cell phones, hotels, games

Before exposing the lavish amenities illegal immigrant children have been receiving this year while American kids go hungry living in tent cities on Post Office lawns, Judicial Watch reminded its readers that the federal government’s own guidelines say that homeless children can and should live on $10 per day, American children anyway. Illegal immigrant children are receiving $275.70 per day, compliments of the US taxpayer.

Some of the listed spending items paid for by US taxpayers include (from Judicial Watch):

*Below items and amounts represent the contracted spending for a four-month period for 2,400 illegal immigrant minors.

• Specially trained councilors, each costing over a quarter-million-dollars per year, plus free hotel accommodations and three free daily meals.

• $6.7 million in hotel rooms at $125 per room per night.

• $18 million for daily meals for all illegal children and staff, all provided by catering services. Authors note this equals $75 per day for food while the US government only provides $10 per day for homeless American kids to eat.

• $1.1 million in basic household medical supplies including shampoo, bandages, pregnancy tests, etc.

• Recreational items – board games, soccer balls, jump ropes, puzzles, playing cards, etc. Four-month budgeted cost: $180,000.

• Arts and Crafts – paint, markers, paper, crayons, etc. Four-month budgeted cost: $180,000.

• 500 laptop computers – $200,000

• 800 cell phones with international calling (equipment only) – $160,000

• 2 international calls per week per child – $576,000

• Audio/Video, including cable TV – $20,000

• Shower heads – In an example of seemingly frivolous spending, the contract calls for replacement shower heads at $1,000 each. The authors note the same item can be purchased at Home Depot for $163.71.

Taxpayer outrage

After filing the Freedom of Information Act request and receiving the spending documentation the above items were taken from, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton unleashed his anger and frustration. “It is outrageous that the Obama administration spent nearly $200 million of taxpayer funds to provide illegal alien children with the types of extravagant high-tech equipment and lavish benefits many American families cannot even afford for their own children. And very few American workers are bringing home the $80,000 the Obama administration pays the BCFS’s Incident Management Team for just four months’ work.”

Fitton went on to add his own impression of President Obama’s unilateral action on illegal immigration, “Obama’s lawlessness resulted in an illegal alien ‘surge’ that has cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in 2014. Based on his new lawless amnesty plans, we can expect hundreds of millions more in taxpayer costs for the resulting wave of illegal aliens trying to take advantage of Obama’s illegal nullification of our nation’s immigration laws.”

Propaganda and misinformation

When it comes to President Obama’s policy on illegal immigration, even his own admirers in the state-sponsored media can’t help but expose him on his misinformation campaign. Shortly after the President gave his nationally televised speech announcing he was taking unilateral action to halt the deportation of millions of illegal immigrants, Associated Press did a ‘Fact Check’ on some of his statements.

From AP and Yahoo News:

OBAMA: “It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive. Only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.”

THE FACTS: He’s saying, and doing, more than that. The changes also will make those covered eligible for work permits, allowing them to be employed in the country legally and compete with citizens and legal residents for better-paying jobs.

OBAMA: “Although this summer, there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is now actually lower than it’s been in nearly two years.”

THE FACTS: The numbers certainly surged this year, but it was more than a “brief spike.” The number of unaccompanied children apprehended at the border has been on the rise since the 2011 budget year. That year about 16,000 children were found crossing the border alone. In 2012, the Border Patrol reported more than 24,000 children, followed by more than 38,800 in 2013. In the past budget year, more than 68,361 children were apprehended.

OBAMA: “Overall, the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts.”

THE FACTS: Indeed, in the 2014 budget year ending Sept. 30 the Border Patrol made 486,651 arrests of border crossers, among the fewest since the early 1970s. But border arrests have been on the rise since 2011.

OBAMA: “When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders.”

THE FACTS: He overlooked the fact that he promised as a candidate for president in 2008 to have an immigration bill during his first year in office and move forward on it quickly. He never kept that promise to the Latino community.

The above Fact Check is from the Associated Press and Yahoo News. Also, read the full report on spending at Judicial Watch.