Illegal Immigration Costs 1-15-26

The annual net cost of the U.S. illegal immigration process to federal, state, and local taxpayers is estimated at around $150 billion, after accounting for taxes paid by undocumented immigrants. This figure is a subject of ongoing debate, with various reports offering different estimates based on their scope and methodology.  

Key Costs and Estimates

The costs are categorized into enforcement, social services, and the broader economic impact. 

Enforcement and Border Security:

Federal spending on immigration enforcement has increased dramatically over the past decades. The total budget for agencies like Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in FY 2024 was approximately $22 billion and $10 billion, respectively.

A significant portion of enforcement costs goes toward detention and removal operations. One estimate suggests that a sustained operation to deport one million undocumented immigrants annually would cost at least $88 billion per year, with a large part allocated to building and maintaining detention facilities.

State and local governments also incur costs related to border security and enforcement activities, with one report estimating a total of $2.7 billion spent by four border states in 2023.

Social Services and Public Benefits:

The largest share of the cost is often attributed to state and local government expenditures on services. These services primarily include:

Education: Over $73 billion annually for public education for U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants and undocumented children themselves.

Healthcare: Nearly $19 billion for medical care, including emergency services and Medicaid-related costs.

Law Enforcement and Justice System: Approximately $22 billion in costs for policing, judicial, and correctional systems. 

Economic Factors

In 2026, the cost of the U.S. illegal immigration process is largely defined by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which became law on July 4, 2025, and allocated more than $170 billion over four years for border security and interior enforcement. For the 2026 fiscal year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is projected to invest a historic $175 billion to secure the border. 

The following breakdown details the specific costs and fiscal impacts:

Federal Enforcement and Operational Costs 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Received approximately $75 billion over four years (~$18.7 billion annually) to support the administration's goal of 1 million removals per year.

Detention Capacity: $45 billion was allocated to increase detention space to 100,000 beds, including new family detention facilities.

Border Infrastructure: $46.6 billion is dedicated to the construction of a physical wall system along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Personnel: $7.8 billion was provided to hire 3,000 new Border Patrol agents and 10,000 new ICE officers. 

State and Local Fiscal Impacts

While the federal government handles enforcement, state and local governments bear substantial costs for services provided to undocumented immigrants: 

Total Annual Cost: Estimates from the House Budget Committee suggest a net cost of more than $150 billion per year.

Education: Roughly $73 billion annually is spent on educating children who are undocumented or have unauthorized parents.

Medical care for this population cost states nearly $22 billion and $19 billion respectively each year.

Macroeconomic and Long-term Costs

Federal Debt: Policies targeting illegal immigration are estimated to increase the federal debt by $124 billion by 2028.

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+cost+of+maintaining+the+us+illegal+immigration+process

Comments

The disruption of ICE Deportations increases the cost and time required to deporting unvetted Illegals.

Self-Deportation of non-criminal illegals will lower the costs. As illegals exit the US, more US Citizens are filling US Jobs.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader