Author: Jack Haxton
Illegal immigration places a huge financial burden on American taxpayers, strains public services, and impacts wages in blue collar job markets. A secure border is essential not only for national security but also for economic stability.
Taxpayer Burden: Where the Money Really Goes
Illegal immigration costs American taxpayers over $150 billion annually, with significant expenses in healthcare, education, and law enforcement at state and federal levels. According to a 2023 study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), this net cost reflects $182 billion in annual expenditures offset by roughly $31 billion in taxes paid by an estimated 15.5 million illegal immigrants.
Healthcare: Emergency medical care for illegal immigrants costs taxpayers $18.5 billion each year, including $11.2 billion funded through federal programs like Medicaid, as FAIR’s analysis estimates based on government data and hospital records.
Education: Public schools spend over $59 billion annually educating undocumented children, with states like California and Texas bearing more than $10 billion each, per FAIR’s breakdown.
Law Enforcement: The government allocates $23 billion yearly to policing, detaining, and deporting illegal immigrants who commit crimes, according to federal spending reports cited by FAIR and by the House Committee on Homeland Security’s 2024 interim report on border crisis costs.
Wages, Jobs, and the Blue-Collar Squeeze
The influx of illegal immigrants also affects wages and job availability for American blue-collar workers, reshaping labor markets in key industries.
Wage Suppression: Research from a Harvard economist published in 2007, suggests illegal
immigration reduces wages for blue-collar workers by 4% to 7%. In industries like construction, the effect is sharper, with wage drops of 8% to 10%, according to this analysis of labor market competition.
Job Competition: Illegal immigrants hold 17% of construction jobs, 10% of service industry positions, and 9% of manufacturing roles, according to a 2022 American Community Survey analysis by the American Immigration Council.
Strain on Entry-Level Jobs: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) notes in its 2024 report on immigration’s economic effects that more undocumented workers in low-wage sectors heighten competition, making it harder for young Americans to secure entry-level positions.
Securing the Border Means Securing Our Future
Illegal immigration is fundamentally an economic issue, not a political debate. While open-border policies increase government dependency and wage suppression, a conservative approach prioritizes border security, fair labor practices, and economic stability. Protecting American jobs and reducing our taxpayer’s burden requires strong enforcement of these immigration laws. Without continued secure borders, the economy faces unsustainable pressures that we can no longer afford to ignore.
