FOR RELEASE: April 9, 2008

          Over the last five years, 4,000 U. S. soldiers have died fighting for freedom from Islamic extremists in Iraq .  This figure has received major news coverage on nearly every major media outlet.  However, the untold story that the media does not focus on is the number of persons in the United States who have been killed by illegal aliens.  Statistics compiled by Representative Steve King of Iowa show that the number killed by illegal aliens since September 11 th exceeds the number of soldiers that we have lost in Iraq . 

          Congressman King arrived at his conclusion by citing an April, 2005 study by the General Accounting Office, which said that 28 percent of the inmates in federal and state prisons are criminal aliens.  Criminal aliens are defined as non-citizens who are convicted of crimes while in this country, either legally or illegally.  Further, Congressman King cites a 2004 FBI report showing that there were 16,137 murder victims in the U. S. , and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures showing that there were almost 17,000 U. S. victims of negligent homicide, three quarters of whom were victims of drunken driving.

          From these statistics, Congressman King calculates that the number of persons in the U. S. killed by criminal aliens in 2004 was 4,518.  He reached this conclusion by multiplying 28 percent times the total number of murders in the U. S. in 2004.  That calculation yields about 12 murders per-day at the hands of criminal aliens. 

          As for victims of negligent homicide who died at the hands of criminal aliens, Congressman King calculates that number to be 4,746.  He multiplied 28 percent times the total number of negligent homicides. This calculation finds that there are about 13 deaths per-day at the hands of criminal aliens, mostly drunken drivers.

          Those two calculations added together, shows that in the year 2004, three times the number of Americans were murdered at the hands of criminal aliens than died in the terrorist attacks on 9/11.  There is no reason to believe that this level of annual carnage has declined.  In fact, with America 's southern border still open, it is reasonable to think that as many or more persons have been murdered by criminal aliens each year since 2004.

          In conjunction with Congressman King's findings, I had the opportunity in 2006 to question representatives of the Federal Bureau of Prisons when they appeared before the Commerce, Justice, State Subcommittee.  They reported that at that time, there were 189,000 persons incarcerated in federal prisons, and 50,000 of them were illegal aliens.  That is almost 26.5 percent. 

          While I believe estimates that there are 20 million illegal aliens in the U. S. , let us suppose that the more conservative estimate of 12-15 million is true.  If we say that there are 15 million illegals in the U. S., then the percentage of illegals in terms of the entire U.S. population of the almost 304 million is nearly five percent.  As you can see, the percentage of criminal illegal aliens in our federal system far exceeds the number in the general population, and I suspect that the percentage is even higher in a number of states.      

          Please keep in touch with me on issues that are important to you.  You may write Congressman Virgil Goode, 70 East Court Street, Room 215, Rocky Mount , VA 24151 ; or fax to 1-540-484-1459; or call toll-free to the Danville office, 1-800-535-4008.