A new House Homeland Security Committee report finds that the ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border could cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars each year, with Republicans blaming what they say are “open borders” policies from the Biden administration.
The report is the committee’s fourth interim report on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ handling of the border crisis, which saw more than 2.4 million migrant encounters at the southern border in FY23. The report focuses on the financial costs of the crisis, which it attributes. Biden administration policies.
“Only a small part [of the costs] “It is almost always recovered from taxes paid by illegal aliens, with the rest falling to US citizens and legal residents,” the report says. Both the federal and state governments, as well as the pockets of private citizens and businesses.
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Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., holds a press conference ahead of a House Homeland Security Committee hearing “to examine Secretary Mayorka’s dereliction of duty” at the Cannon Building on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
He cites studies by the hardline Center for Immigration Studies, which found that the annual cost of caring for and housing illegal immigrants could reach $451 billion. He separately cites estimates from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates for lower immigration levels, that the net annual burden as of 2022 will exceed $150 billion.
The report cites health care costs, including Medicaid expenditures for illegal immigrants estimated at more than $5 billion annually, the costs of the fentanyl crisis, and law enforcement costs., And the costs incurred by countries to educate migrant children.
He also points to the costs of housing and shelter — particularly the enormous costs seen in cities like New York City, where tens of thousands of migrants have traveled after their release into the United States, and the costs borne by ranchers and local businesses near the border. New York City Mayor Eric Adams estimated earlier this year that the city’s crisis alone could cost $12 billion by 2025.
“It is morally unacceptable for American taxpayer dollars to be directed to those who violate our laws and demand expanded taxpayer-funded benefits such as education, health care, housing, and more. Many of these individuals are likely to be a drain on American society,” the report says, “spending what remains.” From their days in the United States, they constantly receive more in benefits from the state than they ever contribute — not to mention the fact that they have no legal basis for staying in the country to begin with.”
“Mayorkas’s policies have enabled this mass waste and abuse of taxpayer resources. His policies and actions have encouraged millions of people to cross our borders illegally. His administration has released millions of illegal aliens into the United States rather than detaining or deporting them, as the law requires.” . “There is no end in sight.”
The report sparked criticism from the Department of Homeland Security, which accused Republicans of wasting time attacking Mayorkas.
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“While the House majority wasted months trying to score points with baseless attacks, Secretary Mayorkas was doing his job and working to keep Americans safe,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said. “Under his leadership, DHS is preventing unprecedented amounts of fentanyl from entering the country, confronting threats from the Chinese government, helping communities recover from natural disasters, and working to protect our nation from cyberattacks, terrorism, and targeted violence.”
“Instead of continuing our reckless impeachment farces and attacks on law enforcement, Congress must work with us to keep our country safe, build on the progress DHS is making, and deliver the much-needed reforms to our broken immigration system that only legislation can fix.” “. They said.
DHS has also previously highlighted its efforts to support states and communities affected by the migrant crisis, including providing $770 million to 69 organizations in the past fiscal year to support those receiving migrants, as well as moves including expediting work permit applications and teams of… Experts to receive immigrants. Providing services in cities such as New York and Boston.
Democrats on the committee similarly criticized the report. “The outright lie is that immigrants are a financial burden on our country — a claim that has been consistently refuted by immigration experts on both the right and the left for decades,” said Ranking Member Bennie Thompson.
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“This report, filled with racist rhetoric from the GOP’s extremist MAGA base, is just the latest attempt to gain support for Republicans’ completely baseless attempt to impeach Secretary Mayorkas. Instead of politically motivated attacks on the Secretary, Republicans should support Democrats,” he said. Efforts to provide border agents with the resources they need.”
The White House requested $14 billion for border operations, which includes grants to local governments and more immigration officers to speed up work documentation for immigrants. The Biden administration has also called for a comprehensive immigration reform bill to pass Congress — but Republicans rejected it because it included a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, Republicans have passed their own immigration and border security legislation — which includes building the border wall and restrictions on parole and asylum — but Democrats have so far rejected it.
