Illegal immigration now costs US taxpayers $151 billion a year, new study finds
FOX NewsNov 26, 2022
The Facts
A new study from the Federation for Immigration Reform shows that illegal immigration costs US taxpayers $151B per year, a 30% increase from just five years ago.
The study, "The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on United States Taxpayers 2023,” concludes that taxpayers spend a gross $182B in annual services and benefits to people who are in the US illegally, while the government collects just $31B in taxes from them.
The Spin
Republican narrative
The cost of allowing people who have subverted the legal process to live in the US is mind-blowing, and it’s telling that blue California spends so much more than a similarly sized state like red Texas, which doesn’t attract illegal immigrants with giveaways. But the cost is almost beside the point, as the current American border policy puts the nation’s sovereignty at risk, and it’s time to adopt stricter immigration policies to avoid a dangerous fate.
Democratic narrative
These cost estimates, if accurate, are daunting, but the best way to reduce them is by reforming America’s unjust immigration system. Unfortunately, Republicans continue to sit out or block this process. Increasing the number of legal immigrants would boost the US economy, including addressing an ongoing worker shortage. But Republicans would rather drum up xenophobia and blame the Democratic border policy than show migrants the respect they deserve.
