The economic reality is clear: illegal immigration is not a net benefit to the United States. It is a burden that taxpayers, law enforcement, hospitals, and victims of crime are forced to bear—one that could be eliminated by enforcing immigration laws and prioritizing the well-being of legal residents and citizens.
Studies from organizations such as the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) have determined that illegal immigration creates a net fiscal drain, with the cost of public services far exceeding any contributions. A Manhattan Institute study estimates that the surge of illegal immigrants between 2021 and 2026 will cost taxpayers $1.15 trillion over the lifetime of these new illegal immigrants—a figure larger than the entire U.S. defense budget and nearly equal to the cost of Social Security in 2023. With numbers this staggering, the financial strain of illegal immigration is impossible to ignore. And even worse, these costs continue to rise as more resources are allocated to support illegal immigrants, further straining public budgets.
Advocates often point to the taxes illegal immigrants pay—such as the $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. However, this figure fails to account for the broader economic reality: most illegal immigrants do not pay federal or state income taxes, do not contribute to Social Security or Medicare, and impose far greater costs on public services than they contribute in tax revenue.
Even the argument that illegal immigrants boost GDP falls apart under scrutiny. The Center for Migration Studies at New York University claims that legalizing the undocumented population would contribute $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy—an implicit acknowledgment that illegal immigrants, as they currently exist, are not meaningfully contributing. Unlike legal residents, many do not file tax returns and work off the books, meaning they bypass payroll taxes entirely. While illegal immigrants do pay sales taxes, excise taxes (on goods like gasoline and cigarettes), and property taxes (directly as homeowners or indirectly through rent), these payments would still be made if the jobs were held by U.S. citizens or legal immigrants. There is no unique economic benefit to having illegal workers in these roles.
Moreover, much of the spending attributed to illegal immigrants is done with money they receive from government programs, creating an illusion of economic benefit. This cycle—where taxpayer money funds welfare programs that then enable illegal immigrants to spend in the economy—is presented by Democrats as an economic boost. In reality, it’s a redistribution of taxpayer dollars, not genuine economic growth.
Hospitals are legally required to provide emergency care to all patients, regardless of immigration status. As a result, illegal immigrants frequently receive medical treatment without the ability—or obligation—to pay, leaving hospitals and taxpayers to absorb the costs. This unpaid medical debt strains healthcare systems, raises costs for insured patients, and has even contributed to hospital closures in areas with high concentrations of illegal immigration. Some states, such as California, have gone further by allocating taxpayer funds to provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants, adding to the financial burden.
Beyond healthcare, illegal immigrants also consume a wide range of public services funded by taxpayers. Public schools are required to educate the children of illegal immigrants, costing billions annually. While illegal immigrants may not qualify for Social Security or Medicare, many of their U.S.-born children receive benefits through Medicaid, CHIP, food stamps (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and housing assistance. Additionally, some states grant illegal immigrants in-state tuition, driver’s licenses, and direct financial aid. States with large illegal immigrant populations—such as California, Texas, Florida, and New York—bear the heaviest costs, particularly in education and welfare programs.
Contrary to claims that illegal immigrants commit fewer crimes, the data is often skewed by underreporting. Many jurisdictions, particularly sanctuary cities, do not record immigration status when reporting crimes, and some outright refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Even if illegal immigrants committed crimes at a lower rate than citizens, they still add to the overall crime rate. Crimes committed by illegal immigrants would not be occurring if those individuals were not in the country to begin with. The costs of investigating, prosecuting, and incarcerating illegal immigrants are borne by taxpayers. Additionally, victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants suffer losses—both financial and personal—that could have been avoided entirely.
Illegal immigrants who drive often do so without valid licenses or insurance. When they cause accidents, the financial burden falls on the victims and their insurance providers. This results in higher premiums for law-abiding citizens, increasing costs across the board. Traffic violations and unpaid fines further contribute to municipal losses, as many illegal immigrants either evade enforcement or lack the means to pay.
Any path to citizenship or economic benefits for illegal immigrants only incentivizes more illegal immigration. Democrats actively support the very programs driving illegal migration while simultaneously calling for increases in the minimum wage and the legalization of illegal immigrants. What they fail to acknowledge is that stopping illegal immigration would naturally cause wages in those fields to rise, making those jobs more attractive to legal residents and native-born workers, who would then contribute more to GDP.
At the same time, Democrats constantly push for higher statutory minimum wages while advocating for increased illegal immigration. This contradiction undermines their own policies—if illegal immigration were halted, wages at the lower end of the labor market would rise organically as businesses adjusted to a legal workforce. No government-mandated minimum would be necessary.
When weighing any contribution to GDP, the real cost of illegal immigration—public benefits, healthcare, law enforcement, and lost tax revenue—must also be considered. The net effect is a drain, not a gain.
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