Which aliens are the bigger threat?
Even using their own highly questionable numbers, anti-immigrant activists may be barking up the wrong tree. What’s the bigger threat: illegal aliens, or invasive species? We report, you decide. Mode of entry Porous U.S. borders Porous U.S. borders Annual cost to the U.S. taxpayer Lou Dobbs: $100 billion $120 billion Estimated population inside the ...
Even using their own highly questionable numbers, anti-immigrant activists may be barking up the wrong tree. What's the bigger threat: illegal aliens, or invasive species? We report, you decide.
Even using their own highly questionable numbers, anti-immigrant activists may be barking up the wrong tree. What’s the bigger threat: illegal aliens, or invasive species? We report, you decide.
|
|
|
Mode of entry | Porous U.S. borders | Porous U.S. borders |
Annual cost to the U.S. taxpayer |
Lou Dobbs: $100 billion | $120 billion |
Estimated population inside the U.S. | Dobbs: Up to 20 million | At least 50,000 distinct species comprising trillions of individuals. 16 invasive plant species alone cover 126 million acres of U.S. land. 80% of U.S. fish populations have been degraded by invasive species. |
Health threats | WorldNetDaily: Drug-resistant Tuberculosis, Chagas disease, Dengue fever, Polio, Hepatitis A, B, and C | AIDS, Malaria, Typhus, Plague, West Nile virus, Cholera, Mad Cow Disease, Avian Flu |
Accused of: | Stealing U.S. jobs, living off of the welfare system, and raising crime levels. | Destroying millions of acres of U.S. crops, disabling nuclear reactors, and wiping out endangered species. |
Number of mentions in the media in the last month, as reported by Google News |
20,693
|
“Invasive Species”
1,291
|
Photos: www.invasive.org; David McNew/Getty Images
More from Foreign Policy

America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose
Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.

The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy
The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now
In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet
As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.