Illegal immigration has billion-dollar impact on social services across the US

[RAY BOGAN]

Immigration on the southern border is breaking records. And it’s costing states and localities billions of taxpayer dollars.

Nearly 2.5 million migrants were caught illegally crossing into the United States in fiscal year 2023, a yearly record. Approximately 270,000 were apprehended crossing in September, a monthly record.

 Reports indicate that record was broken in December, but the official numbers have not been released. 

Those statistics show the extraordinary scale of immigration but they do not show its financial and economic impacts. A House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing Thursday explored how immigration impacts social services. 

Take for instance the Eagle Pass, Texas Fire Department. They responded to more than 9,000 calls in 2023, approximately 10% of which were migrant related. Those migrant related calls cost the department $15-18,000 a day in added costs 

which include personnel and a new ambulance solely dedicated to the border. They respond to medical emergencies and drownings in the Rio Grande river. 

[Chief Manuel Mello, Eagle Pass, Texas Fire Department]

“These body recoveries include men, women, and children ranging from two months to 15 years old. As a witness to many incidents, l I am here to tell you we are being overwhelmed with EMS calls and body recoveries.”

[RAY BOGAN]

Republicans also pointed to the costs and impacts on education. On Wednesday, New York City officials moved 3,500 students at James Madison High School in Brooklyn to remote learning so the facility could be used as a storm shelter for immigrants. 

In August, Mayor Eric Adams announced the city had spent nearly $1.5 billion providing for asylum seekers to that point in fiscal year 2023. That includes money for food, shelter and other services. He projected the city could spend as much as $12 billion over fiscal years 2023, ‘24 and ‘25. 

Republicans say it all comes back to the Biden Administration’s lax enforcement policies. 

[Rep. Tom McClintock, R-CA]

“Now this crisis is not because of incompetence. This is the deliberate policy of this administration.” 

[RAY BOGAN]

Democrats say immigrants help drive the economy by paying an estimated $7 billion in sales and excise taxes, $3.6 billion in property taxes and $1.1 billion in personal income taxes every year.

[Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA]

“immigrants do not hurt the economy. What hurts us are antiquated laws that require the detention of lawful asylum seekers, an inefficient and arbitrary waiting periods for work authorization.” 

[RAY BOGAN]

Federal law requires asylum seekers to wait 180 days to receive a work authorization. Democrats say applicants would be able to better provide for themselves if they could work immediately which would require a change to immigration law. 

[Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA]

“It is absurd to say that immigrants are a drain on the economy. Study after study have proven that the US economy is driven by immigrants, both documented and undocumented.”