The Economic Impact of Illegal Immigration in the U.S.
The influx of illegal immigrants into the United States has had a significant impact on the nation's economy, both in terms of government spending and the national workforce.
Government Spending on Illegal Immigrants
According to watchdog organization Open the Books, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its Office of Refugee Resettlement spent nearly $23 billion on grants benefiting migrants between 2020 and 2024. These grants included assistance with accessing Medicaid, building credit, home and auto loans, and cash assistance.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement is tasked with assisting in the resettlement of refugees accepted into the U.S. However, the agency is also involved in the care of unaccompanied minors who cross the border. While the Office of Refugee Resettlement received increased funding for this purpose, spending $12.4 billion since 2020, an estimated 300,000 unaccompanied minors have gone missing.
Impact on the U.S. Workforce
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that nearly 90% of job growth in the U.S. since 2020 has gone to immigrants, including illegal immigrants. Since January 2020, 4.7 million new jobs have gone to immigrants, while only 645,000 have gone to American-born citizens.
A prior report warned that the high rate of immigration into America, coupled with a declining U.S. birth rate, is "changing the makeup of the U.S. labor force in ways that are likely to reverberate through the economy for decades."
Concerns about the Impact of Illegal Immigration
Some experts have expressed concerns about the impact of illegal immigration on the U.S. economy. They argue that the availability of low-wage immigrant labor allows employers to ignore the negative social consequences of high unemployment among American-born men.
Others have pointed to the potential for increased child sex trafficking and migrant deaths as a result of the lack of border security.
The debate over the economic impact of illegal immigration is likely to continue as the issue remains a major political and social concern in the United States.
5 Comments
Cerebro
The U.S. was built on immigration, it's part of our history and heritage. Demonizing entire groups based on legal status, without considering individual contributions and potential, is harmful and unproductive.
ArtemK
Undocumented immigrants may contribute some taxes, but the overall cost to taxpayers in social services, healthcare, and education outweighs this contribution.
Habibi
Comprehensive immigration reform needs to address both border security and pathways to legality, but prioritizing the interests of American citizens and our struggling workforce must be at the core of any solution.
Africa
Finally, some facts! This is the real impact of illegal immigration on our economy, draining taxpayer dollars instead of supporting our own people.
Mariposa
300,000 missing kids is a national tragedy caused by illegal border crossings and lack of border security. It's time to put a stop to this out of control situation.