Jim DeMint on Obama's Immigration Reform: 'The President Clearly Is Not Connecting the Economic Dots

Many conservatives have expressed skepticism about the broad "Gang of Eight" bipartisan plan for immigration reform released in the Senate last month, and the Heritage Foundation has published a study Monday that will likely confirm negative suspicions.

The conservative think-tank finds that the bill would cost taxpayers $6.3 trillion in new spending on entitlements and social programs. The Heritage Foundation has not found praise though for the study from all their usually fans. POLITICO reports that Rep. Paul Ryan says the study ignores the economic growth that would be created by immigration reform, and former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour calls it a "political document" designed to create alarming headlines. 

Supporters of the bill had said at the end of April that they believe they could secure up to 70 yes votes for their reform plan. Now POLITICO reports as many as two dozen Republican Senators could support the bill for a "show-of-force majority." These supporters are said to likely come from more liberal states but also usually conservative bastions like Utah, Georgia and Wyoming. 

Former South Carolina Senator and current Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint joined 'Wilkow!' Monday to discuss the new study on the total cost of immigration reform, the critics, and what the right way to reform our immigration system should be. DeMint emphasized we need to focus on helping Americans and those who come here lawfully, and our immigration system should not be a foreign aid system.

"The President clearly is not connecting the economic dots here," DeMint said Monday. "There is no way that this amnesty bill is going to help the American people. In fact, it's going to add to their taxes and add to their debt."

Watch a clip from the segment below: