Interesting recent Cato Institute white paper on immigrants' impact on the US budget

Immigrants’ Recent Effects on Government Budgets: 1994–2023 | Cato Institute

This covers all immigrants, legal and illegal.

"The government first began gathering detailed information on benefits use by citizenship status in 1994. The data show:

• For each year from 1994 to 2023, the US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government.
• Over that period, immigrants created a cumulative fiscal surplus of $14.5 trillion in real 2024 US dollars, including $3.9 trillion in savings on interest on the debt.
• Without immigrants, US government public debt at all levels would be at least 205 percent of gross domestic product (GDP)—nearly twice its 2023 level."

Some categories that stand out as benefits that immigrants use less of than US citizens:

"Old-age benefits: Immigrants imposed 34 percent lower costs per capita than the US average for old-age benefits"

"Education: Immigrants cost the US education system 50 percent less per capita than the US population overall."

"Felony policing and prisons: Immigrants impose 44 percent lower costs per capita on prisons, felony policing, and courts than the average person"

Interesting study.

...but....but...they are eating cats.

Immigrants Rock!!  

Why would that  be the case for education ?  Are they home schooling more ?  On the surface it does not make sense because of the language barrier.  But I could see where legal immigrants could be in a higher income bracket and already speak English, and have the means for lunches and transportation.  Illegals , not so much. That study should be broken down to have any value, but sounds like an interesting read.

I believe most people would support the 'removal' (whatever form it is in) of actual hardened criminals. 

But crops need harvesting.  Roofs need repair.  On and on...

Candy

And when there is nobody left to do those things at immigrant wages, prices on a lot of things go up food, home owner's insurance and so on. 

From the white paper:

"Because of special programs for English-language learners, immigrants in school can be more expensive than other students in school. But because immigrants are much less likely to be in school, they cost the system much less overall. Most immigrants arrive in the US after they have completed their schooling"

Per captia costs not per person in school.

ICE doesn't care whether someone is legal or illegal under Trump, so I don't think it matters to the results of this study.

Immigrants, including FEELTHY ILLEGULS, rarely arrive here on their own if they're children. Families do arrive, but mostly, the parents migrate and the children come afterwards. The overall effect is that the immigrant population contains a lower percentage of school-age children than the overall population. This, lower education costs per capita.

You opine that the study doesn't have any value unless it separately considers FEELTHY ILLEGULS, but any objective consideration shows that the economic benefits conferred by immigration are realized regardless of the legal status of said immigrants.

Which is why the US has been historically lax on immigration enforcement. Farmers and businessmen know that immigrants, whether legal or illegal, provide economic benefits. MAGA's crusade against ALL immigrants is hurting our economy.

I was skimming through that white paper recently. Was thinking about posting it. 

Very interesting. 

Those who constantly go on about "immigrants draining resources" really ought to give the section "How Immigration Has Prevented a Debt Crisis" a read. 

In addition to this white paper, Cato has had a some good articles on immigration recently.