Costs of Illegal Immigration

According to estimates from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), more than 5 million illegal aliens currently reside in the U.S. with 400,000 more added to their numbers annually (Camarota 1). A majority of these illegal aliens reside in border states like Texas, California, New Mexico and others where there numbers put an excessive burden on state resources. According to one report, illegal immigrants use $42 billion more in welfare resources than they pay into the U.S. tax system (Borjas 44).

Seven border states have filed lawsuits against the federal government in the hopes of reclaiming billions of lost dollars in social services. Of the more than eight million illegal immigrants in this country, eighty-six percent of them reside in seven border states: California, New York, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Arizona, and New Mexico (Edmondson 2). Since 1982, the Supreme Court made it mandatory for states to provide educational and health services to illegal immig

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less educated than the average native, and they consume 13% more in social services than their native counterparts (Unz 46). While illegal immigrants are not eligible for state welfare assistance or food stamps, they are provided with educational and health services. There are other significant costs associated with illegal immigrants. These costs come in the form of criminal justice. To protect and make borders secure, many states like Arizona are plagued by high security costs to keep out rising numbers of illegal immigrants. Further, the border states that are hit hardest by illegal immigrants pay enormous costs in the apprehension, detainment, and deportation of these aliens. Congress authorized a study in 2001 that showed the cost for processing illegal immigrants in 28 counties in four border states (New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California) amounts to $125 million a year (Kyl B7). Republican Senator John Kyl of Arizona is adamantly opposed to illegal immigration. He argues that all too often we concern ourselves with the needs of migrants instead of and at the expense of American citizens. He argues the costs of illegal immigrants to health care services amount to $1.5-$2 billion annually, with border states bea
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