2014 OK Senate debate: on Immigration

James Inhofe: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry

Inhofe: Strongly Agree

Matt Silverstein: Opposes housing refugee immigrants in military facilities

Contrary to his previous position, Inhofe now purports to see a host of ills stemming from the protection of these compromised children. "Senator Inhofe was part of the problem that created this situation in the first place, and now he is running and hiding from his own vote as a U.S. Senator," said Matt Silverstein, Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senate. "What Senator Inhofe is failing to tell voters is that the law he voted for is the real cause of this border crisis."

Joe Carr: Refugees cost millions in school & medical costs

That sure sounds like refugees add a lot to our state. But Carr is now dismissing the study, saying, "We don't know if it's flawed." Apparently one of the flaws is that the study doesn't take into account how many immigrants might be in prison.

Well, it costs roughly $25,000 a year to house a prisoner. We also know that there are roughly 21,000 inmates in our prisons--0.3% of the population. Even if 1% of all refugees were incarcerated--more than triple that rate--that would cost Tennessee $14 million. Even if we take out the money for our hypothetical prisoners, refugees in general are still making a huge positive economic contribution to the state.