Almost $151 billion.
That’s how much the border crisis costs our country according to newly released data from the House Budget Committee.
The cost of “President Biden’s failed border policies” was highlighted by the House Budget Committee in their recent “The Cost of the Border Crisis” hearing.
The Congressional hearing showcased the importance of border security and the real costs to already overburdened state and local governments.
Nearly 250,000 illegal immigrant encounters were reported in April 2024 alone, reports Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
This brings the total encounters with illegal aliens to nearly two million for the fiscal year. The total amount of encounters with illegal aliens since President Biden took office: six million.
This does not include nearly 1.6 million “gotaways” - people who evaded CBP.
All of this comes at an enormous cost to taxpayers in real dollars - $150.7 billion and counting reported the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Illegal immigration is a threat to vital US interests and US pocketbooks. Newsweek reported that “the $150.7 billion spent on illegal immigration last year is more than the total gross domestic product (GDP)” of three states.
“The greatest national security threat to the American people is posed by these open borders, said Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Jodey Arrington (R-TX).
“The lion's share of that cost is borne by state and local governments. State and local governments can't borrow or print money like the federal government, so they have to balance their budgets by either absorbing this cost through raising taxes or they have to cut services to their citizens”.
A recent study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) found that each illegal alien or their US-born child costs the United States $8,776 annually.
“The Biden administration has misplaced priorities,” said Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI).
“Does anyone here want to guess how much we've spent on homeless veterans in 2023? Anybody want to guess? $66 billion on illegals and $3 billion on people who have laid down their lives for this country.”
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) added, “Opposition to illegal immigration is not opposition to legal immigration. In fact, the people I find who are the angriest about illegal immigration are the legal immigrants who have played by the rules, waited patiently in line, and are now watching millions of illegal migrants cut in line in front of them.”
Illegal immigration and control of the border generally is a significant topic for voters in 2024. A recent Gallup poll showed that “it was the first time immigration has been the single most important problem (for voters) since 2019.”
“The government” ranked as the number one issue for the previous year.
Illegal immigration took the lead as the most problematic issue for voters rising to 28% from 20%. Many voters see illegal immigration as a “critical threat.''
According to the Gallup poll 55% of US adults say that “large numbers of immigrants entering the United States illegally” is a critical threat to America's vital interests.
“All Americans are paying the price for Biden’s radical policies, and we exposed their true cost,” the Committee concluded. “The cost burden on the American taxpayer is in addition to the failed economic policies of this Administration.”