According to a recent study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, illegal immigration costs American taxpayers $151 billion per year, a 30% increase since 2017.
According to the study, “The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on United States Taxpayers 2023,” illegal immigrant services and benefits cost $182 billion per year. However, according to FAIR, approximately $31 billion in taxes are collected from the 15.5 million illegal immigrants living in the United States, offsetting some of the overall costs.
FAIR reported in 2017 that illegal immigration services cost taxpayers $116 billion per year.
The study looked at education and food assistance programs available to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. The costs of state-level programs were also estimated.
The most significant expense, according to FAIR, is K-12 education for migrant children, which costs taxpayers $78 billion per year. Furthermore, the study discovered that healthcare costs, including uncompensated hospital bills, Medicaid fraud, and Medicaid for children, total $42.7 billion per year.
Each illegal immigrant or child born in the United States of an illegal immigrant costs $8,776 per year, which costs each taxpayer $1,156.
California spends the most on illegal immigration services and benefits, at $31 billion per year. Texas spends approximately $13 billion per year, while West Virginia spends the least, at $33 million per year.
According to FAIR, an organization that advocates for stricter border enforcement, the current administration’s open southern border policies have burdened American taxpayers.
“As America struggles to meet countless societal needs while facing the realities of our staggering $31 trillion national debt,” said FAIR President Dan Stein.
“Not only is the Biden administration refusing to rein in illegal immigration or remove those who violate our laws, but they are also enacting policies that encourage more of it while providing new protections and benefits to those who settle here illegally,” he added. “Similarly, an increasing number of states and municipalities are becoming costly magnets for illegal immigrants by declaring themselves sanctuaries and offering new benefits and services. This has to come to an end.”
