A recent report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicates that the influx of migrants into the United States during the Biden administration incurred a cost of approximately $9.8 billion to taxpayers in 2023.
These findings stand in stark contrast to the CBO’s 2024 projection, which suggested that the surge in migration would enhance federal revenues by $1.2 trillion over the next ten years.
In 2023, state and local governments accommodating migrants experienced a combined revenue increase of $10.1 billion; however, their expenditures significantly exceeded this amount, reaching $19.3 billion. This spending surge was attributed to heightened funding requirements for public education, shelter, and various services for migrants, alongside expenses related to border security and incarceration.
Since 2021, over 11 million individuals have entered the U.S. illegally, as previously reported by The Center Square. The CBO estimates that 4.4 million of these migrants—referred to as the “surge population”—were reliant on taxpayer support in 2023.
The CBO also found that states allocated approximately $1 billion from five federal assistance programs, including Medicaid, SNAP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Supplemental Security Income, to support the “surge population.”
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) remarked on Monday, “For years, there have been assertions that illegal immigration is financially beneficial; however, the CBO has validated our long-held position: President Biden’s open border policies have cost taxpayers billions and depleted the safety net programs essential for vulnerable American citizens.”
States such as New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Colorado willingly expended a total of $3.3 billion in 2023 to provide food, shelter, healthcare, and other benefits for migrants. Conversely, other states were compelled to allocate additional funds for border security, with Texas, Arizona, Florida, and California estimated to have spent $2.7 billion on border security alone during that year.
Arrington emphasized the necessity for lawmakers to approve the multitrillion-dollar Republican budget reconciliation package, termed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This comprehensive policy initiative aims to further advance the Trump administration’s immigration agenda by designating $46.5 billion for the construction of a technologically advanced southern border wall and authorizing over $50 billion for additional detention facilities and recruitment of border personnel.
“This underscores the critical importance of passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—the largest single investment in border security and national defense,” Arrington stated. “We must ensure that President Trump is equipped with the necessary resources to secure the border effectively and fulfill the foremost responsibility of the federal government: providing for national defense.”
