PamiUSA
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2024
- Messages
- 1,418
The Cost of Illegal Immigration to Taxpayers
Prepared Testimony of Steven A. Camarota
Director of Research
Center for Immigration Studies
For
Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House
Judiciary Committee
Hearing entitled “The Impact of Illegal Immigration on Social Services,”
Thursday, January 11, 2024
Summary
Illegal immigrants are a net fiscal drain, meaning they receive more in government services than
they pay in taxes. This result is not due to laziness or fraud. Illegal immigrants actually have
high rates of work, and they do pay some taxes, including income and payroll taxes. The
fundamental reason that illegal immigrants are a net drain is that they have a low average
education level, which results in low average earnings and tax payments. It also means a large
share qualify for welfare programs, often receiving benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born
children. Like their less-educated and low-income U.S.-born counterparts, the tax payments of
illegal immigrants do not come close to covering the cost they create.
Key Points
• The current surge of illegal immigration is unprecedented. Some 2.7 million inadmissible
aliens have been released into the country by the administration since January 2021.
There have also been 1.5 million “got-aways” — individuals observed entering illegally
but not stopped. Visa overstays also seem to have hit a record in FY 2022.
• We preliminarily estimate that the illegal immigrant population grew to 12.8 million by
October of 2023, up 2.6 million since January 2021, when the president took office. This
is the net increase in the illegal population based on monthly Census Bureau data, not the
number of new arrivals.
• Illegal immigrants have a negative fiscal impact -- taxes paid minus benefits received --
primarily because a large share have modest levels of education, resulting in relatively
Prepared Testimony of Steven A. Camarota
Director of Research
Center for Immigration Studies
For
Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House
Judiciary Committee
Hearing entitled “The Impact of Illegal Immigration on Social Services,”
Thursday, January 11, 2024
Summary
Illegal immigrants are a net fiscal drain, meaning they receive more in government services than
they pay in taxes. This result is not due to laziness or fraud. Illegal immigrants actually have
high rates of work, and they do pay some taxes, including income and payroll taxes. The
fundamental reason that illegal immigrants are a net drain is that they have a low average
education level, which results in low average earnings and tax payments. It also means a large
share qualify for welfare programs, often receiving benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born
children. Like their less-educated and low-income U.S.-born counterparts, the tax payments of
illegal immigrants do not come close to covering the cost they create.
Key Points
• The current surge of illegal immigration is unprecedented. Some 2.7 million inadmissible
aliens have been released into the country by the administration since January 2021.
There have also been 1.5 million “got-aways” — individuals observed entering illegally
but not stopped. Visa overstays also seem to have hit a record in FY 2022.
• We preliminarily estimate that the illegal immigrant population grew to 12.8 million by
October of 2023, up 2.6 million since January 2021, when the president took office. This
is the net increase in the illegal population based on monthly Census Bureau data, not the
number of new arrivals.
• Illegal immigrants have a negative fiscal impact -- taxes paid minus benefits received --
primarily because a large share have modest levels of education, resulting in relatively
![woman-looking-over-her-glasses-debrockeclassicstock[1].webp](https://www.houseofpolitics.com/data/attachments/16/16083-9182d651e7eac64e97a803c6e9cd0609.jpg?hash=Ji2w7SKcYu "woman-looking-over-her-glasses-debrockeclassicstock[1].webp")
![maxresdefault[1].webp](https://www.houseofpolitics.com/data/attachments/16/16082-36fe20e0afe99d1e305249a13fa4d326.jpg?hash=tzcoiA7Wim "maxresdefault[1].webp")
