Should An Illegal Immigrant Be Allowed To Keep His Ill-Gotten Loot?

Question

I say illegal because he was here illegally, working illegally and admitted to not paying any taxes whatsoever!

For 11 years, Pedro Zapeta, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, lived his version of the American dream in Stuart, Florida: washing dishes and living frugally to bring money back to his home country.

Two years ago, Zapeta (an illegal immigrant) was ready to return to Guatemala, so he carried a duffel bag filled with $59,000 -- all the cash he had scrimped and saved over the years -- to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

But when Zapeta tried to go through airport security, an officer spotted the money in the bag and called U.S. customs officials.

"They asked me how much money I had," Zapeta recalled, speaking to CNN in Spanish.

He told the customs officials $59,000. At that point, U.S. customs seized his money, setting off a two-year struggle for Zapeta to get it back.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/27/immigrant.money/index.html

And lets not forget, there is no way possible he could have earned all that money without subsidizing
his illegal income. Can anyone say Welfare?

Answer 1

Let's add up his crimines, shall we:

1. In the country illegally.
2. Not paying taxes.
3. Attempting to leave without declaring the cash with customs.

And for all we know: there may have well been some identity theft in there as well.

He's lucky he isn't in jail. Pay the back taxes and the penalties.

FIne and punish his employers too.

Answer 2

I say figure out how much money he earned over the 11 years, subtract the federal tax, interest, and penalties, give him the rest, tell him that if he returns he will be facing jail time, and deport him. I would also check if he has been sending money home as well. I would also arrest and try the owner of the restaurant for aiding and abetting illegals. For someone that should be doing jail time, as any you or I would be for tax evasion, he does seem to feel that not only is he entitled to break our laws by not only crossing without papers , but working and not paying taxes on his earning. He says he doesn't like American anyone, well American doesn't much care for him either

Answer 3

What makes the few that said give him his money think that he should not be fairly taxed? Citizens pay taxes on a daily basis so that all of the wonderful programs and educational services and health care needs for the poor can happen.

Why should some person in this country illegally get a free ride on the backs of the taxpayers, he admitted he never paid taxes the entire time, he rightfully owes for 11 years of back taxes, penalties and interest. He is lucky he isn't sitting in jail for tax evasion...

Some of the ones who think he should get his money are also the ones who use tax evasion as one of the crimes citizens commit in their argument that illegal immigrants are not the only ones breaking the law, kind of ironic actually.

Answer 4

Hmmm? this is a tricky question: whether a person who by illegal means acquires a good deal of cash should have his ill-gotten monies returned to him.
My impulse is to say, "No", but, hey, what is to stop the Govenment from doing the same thing to everyone else?
Ever wonder why our dollar is falling in value? Because people like him have sent more than $30,000,000,000 to family back home in the Carribean and Central America (American Legion, October 2007, Souther Discomfort, pp. 26 - 33). These monies are the driving economic force in Latin America, making their economies soar while ours is in the duldrums.
Not only should illegals be stopped at the border and not allowed in (everyone: Tell the Liberal Congress and Liberal Supreme Court and Liberal Media we have had enough: enforce the laws against the illegals, quite giving them privileges citizens do not enjoy) but illegals should not be allowed to send any money home.
Let's get with the program!

Answer 5

Ok..he was here illegally and working without paying taxes for 11 years for $5.50 hour.
Say he worked 320 days a year for 8 hours.
$5.50 x 8 x 320 x 11 = $154,000.
What if he worked longer hours or more days? Or had other jobs?
His unreported income was much higher than $59,000. All of it subject to income tax, tax penalties. A citizen would face prison for 11 years of tax evasion as well.
He got off lightly in my opinion.

Answer 6

I doubt that was all he made in 11 years - it was just what he saved. And he never paid taxes. And taxes and interest and penalties and tax evasion punishment would be imposed on any citizen who didn't pay taxes. And those would be calculated on his entire income, not just the $59,000. And that would leave a lot less than the $10,000 they offered him to take if he just leaves the country - particularly after he pays for the attorney in his criminal trial since the $59,000 would make him ineligible for indigent counsel, as would be any citizen in that position.

Answer 7

No - he should be forced to pay most of it to help cover the costs of his fellow illegal countrymen and the Spanish bilingual services we as a country now have to provide.

He might be given a little to cover his way back to Mexico, and maybe to help rebuild his life back in his country - but we should never reward criminals for their actions.

Answer 8

Of course not. He came here illegally and worked for eleven years. And he never learned English, never was helping a family, he was only here to get what he could take and leave.
He paid no taxes, he contributed nothing to our country, and he stole the jobs that have traditionally been done by high-school students, semi-retired citizens, and other people who for various reasons are unable to work in other areas.

He contributed nothing, he should get nothing.
He was here selfeshly taking what he could for himself for eleven years.

Now his trial is in the courts and he has two attournys working Pro-Bono for him, all paid for by our taxes. The same taxes he admits to never paying.

Answer 9

Let him keep 40,000 and send him on his way. All he did was wash dishes for 10 years so give this guy a chance.

Answer 10

No he should be sent back without the money, and barred from ever returning. Take the money he earned and put it toward securing our borders.