The cost of illegal immigration: more than $150 billion a year paid by taxpayers

A new analysis put together by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) revealed that until early 2023 taxpayers paid about $182 billion annually for the more than 15.5 million illegal immigrants living in the country.

This expense is partly offset by the $32 billion that illegals contribute to the economy. In other words, the taxes paid by illegal immigrants only cover about 17.2% of the costs they generate for U.S. citizens.

This reduces the net annual cost to approximately $150 billion (federal, state and local).

Fiscal Burden of Illegal Im... by Verónica Silveri

Federal expenditures spent on illegal immigrants

Illegals living in the country cost about $66.4 billion in federal funds. The figure reflects a 45% increase in cost compared to 2017. Expenditures are distributed in the following categories:

- Education expenditures - $6.6 billion: includes Head Start, primary and secondary education, Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and migrant schooling.

- Medical Expenses - $23.1 billion: uncompensated hospital expenses, Medicaid births, Medicaid fraud and Medicaid for U.S.-born children of illegal aliens.

- Federal Justice Enforcement Expenditures - $25.1 billion: federal incarceration, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), customs and border protection, other ICE operations, State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), alien minors, Byrne Fellowships and DOD National Guard deployment.

- Federal Welfare Programs- $11.6 billion: school meals, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and public housing.

State and local expenses

Illegal immigrants have burdened state taxpayers with $115.6 billion (up 30% from 2017). The report attributes the increase to the migration crisis in the country. Because of this, several states extended welfare, education and medical programs to illegals. To cover these support plans for illegals, taxpayers paid tens of billions in additional funds:

- Education spending - $73.3 billion: K-12 public schools, postsecondary tuition losses/financial aid.

- Medical expenses - $18.6 billion: uncompensated hospital expenses, Medicaid births, Medicaid fraud, Medicaid for citizens who are children of illegal aliens, Medi-Cal Expansion and other state programs.

- State Administration of Justice Expenditures - $21.8 billion: policing, judicial, corrections, state border and SCAAP government funds.

- Welfare expenditures - $2 billion: Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and school meals.

Spending on illegals soars

The report stated that immigrants and their U.S.-born children cost each American nearly $1,200 per year. The cost of illegal immigration has skyrocketed since 2017 (when the annual cost was estimated at $116 billion):