On Thursday, a group of Republicans in the House of Representatives introduced the first bill to try to fund the wall on the border between the US and Mexico that has long been promised by President Donald Trump. They say that the US government could collect billions of dollars if they fined Mexican and other undocumented immigrants a two percent fee on the money they send to their families back home.
Although there are varying estimates, remittances from immigrants currently living in the US to loved ones in their home countries could add up to more than $130 billion per annum. A two percent tax would be capable of generating over $2 billion per year for the US government.
Alabama Republican Representative, Mike Rogers, says the bill is a simple one. It demands that those sending money to nations benefitting from the porous borders of the US and illegal immigration have a responsibility to pay toward funding the border wall. Rogers adds that the bill also keeps some of that money within the US economy, as well as developing a stream of funding.
The effort is being led by both Rogers and Pennsylvania Representative, Lou Barletta. President Donald Trump has pledged to force Mexico into paying for the border wall, despite authorities there saying they will not cooperate. Remittances from the US come to over $50 billion per annum, according to the World Bank.