With respect to the article “¿Cuánto cuesta?” (June 24): Illegal immigrants do indeed benefit from our social service programs: According to a United States General Accounting Office Report to Congressional Committees (see gao.gov/archive/1998/he98030.pdf) in fiscal year 1995, about $1.1 billion in AFDC and Food Stamp benefits were provided to households with an illegal alien parent for the use of his or her citizen child; 85 percent of those AFDC households were in California, New York, Texas and Arizona.

California’s illegal alien head of households alone accounted for 10 percent of the state’s caseloads in 1995. Illegal aliens also received SSI and HUD housing assistance for their citizen children.  In 2009 it’s a good guess that 25 percent of illegal immigrants resided in California; some 3 to 5 million. This is a guess because the government seems to want to keep us in the dark.

The citizen-children of illegal immigrants upon reaching the age of 21  can legally sponsor their parents and siblings for citizenship. This is why they are known as “anchor babies”—a child who makes it possible for an entire family to gain entry into the United States and its social welfare programs.