Illegal immigration is hitting American taxpayers harder than ever, with a new study revealing just how deep the financial toll has become.
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), U.S. taxpayers forked over an astonishing $150 billion last year to cover the costs associated with the nearly 20 million illegal migrants in the country. This burden is disproportionately affecting state and local governments, leaving them scrambling to manage the influx, as reported by the New York Post.
In Massachusetts, Republican leaders are sounding the alarm over what they see as a massive $1 billion hole in the state’s budget, accusing the Democrat-controlled administration of quietly diverting tax dollars to address the migrant crisis.
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The Massachusetts GOP has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, demanding transparency from Governor Maura Healey’s office. “The Healey-Driscoll Administration has shrouded nearly $1 billion spent in secrecy, leaving Massachusetts residents in the dark,” said MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale in an interview with Fox News.
She also pointed out that critical information on 600 incidents involving police, fire, and EMT services has been withheld, with the administration blocking journalists from obtaining crucial details.
FAIR’s analysis reveals that the true cost to Massachusetts for state services supporting illegal migrants and their children in 2023 was closer to $3 billion—far more than the state’s public estimates.
The situation is similarly dire in New York, where the comptroller estimates the migrant crisis will cost state taxpayers $4.3 billion through 2025, and New York City alone is expected to spend $3 billion in fiscal year 2024. However, FAIR’s calculations suggest that the total cost to New York taxpayers in 2023 was closer to $10 billion.
These figures go beyond emergency housing and aid, factoring in the full range of state services that illegal migrants utilize, such as education, medical care, law enforcement, legal services, and welfare. FAIR’s study also includes the costs of U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, a factor often overlooked in other reports.
“As long as we keep allowing millions of people to come into the country illegally every year, it’s obviously going to continue to increase the costs,” said FAIR spokesperson Ira Mehlman. He emphasized that the influx of migrants, many of whom work off the books for low wages, results in enormous social costs for American taxpayers.
The financial impact is widespread, with California leading the nation at nearly $31 billion in expenses, followed by Texas at over $13 billion, and Florida at more than $8 billion. Despite illegal migrants contributing approximately $32 billion in taxes, the net cost to U.S. taxpayers remains a staggering $150 billion.
JUST IN — New Study From the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Finds U.S. Taxpayers Paid $150 BILLION in 2023 to Support the 20 Million Illegal Migrants in the Country
“Nineteen US states, including New York, have shelled out in excess of over $1 billion for the… pic.twitter.com/59u6LQzuMC
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Former Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem criticized the federal government’s policies, stating, “It’s an atrocity to spend taxpayer money to support and help people that don’t even have the lawful right to be here because the federal government has got policies in place that are allowing this to occur.”
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