Musk and Ramaswamy’s Initiative Targets Illegal Immigration Costs
Entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are spearheading a new initiative called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is set to tackle excessive spending by the government. A key focus of DOGE is the funding that goes towards services for illegal immigrants, which they have indicated may be significantly reduced.
Although DOGE is not an official government department, it is poised to receive backing from President-elect Trump, who plans to empower the agency to perform audits and push for substantial reforms within various government sectors.
The organization recently highlighted the staggering cost of illegal immigration, claiming it burdened taxpayers with a hefty $150.7 billion in 2023 alone. To put this in perspective, DOGE noted that this figure, when adjusted for inflation, exceeds the total government spending during World War I ($334 billion) and the entire Apollo space program ($257 billion).
Elon Musk emphasized this issue in a social media post, expressing disbelief at the amount spent on illegal immigration, calling it "mind-boggling."
A recent report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) presented these figures. They estimate that the net cost of illegal immigration, which factors in the small amount of tax revenue from illegal immigrants, is about $150.7 billion, causing an average of $1,156 for each taxpayer. This figure has risen significantly since 2017, when the estimated cost was around $116 billion.
FAIR detailed that the overall negative economic impact of illegal immigration is around $182 billion, and federal spending alone amounts to $66 billion, with state and local costs exceeding $115 billion.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of recent comprehensive data from the U.S. government on how much taxpayer money is being spent on services for illegal immigrants. Jessica Baxter from the U.S. Government Accountability Office mentioned that her office does not currently have updated figures, as their last estimates date back to 2018 and 2011.
Julie Kirchner, the executive director of FAIR, described the $150.7 billion estimate as conservative, suggesting that with an increasing number of undocumented immigrants—recent estimates suggest the population may now exceed 16.8 million—the actual costs could be even higher. Additionally, the study did not include local and state expenditures for housing and supporting migrants, which often constitutes a significant portion of total spending.
Cities across America are feeling the weight of these expenses, with New York City alone projected to spend more than $12 billion through the fiscal year 2025 on services for nearly 100,000 asylum seekers. Chicago has also incurred substantial costs, reportedly spending around $400 million on migrant services over the last two years.
As local governments increasingly foot the bill for illegal immigration, advocates, including Kirchner, argue that it’s crucial for the next administration to prioritize the termination of government-funded health care for undocumented individuals and close loopholes that allow these individuals to access tax credits. By implementing such changes, they believe billions could be saved each year, allowing taxpayer money to be used more responsibly.
Kirchner highlighted the urgency to stop the current trend of funding illegal immigration, urging the new administration to bring an end to "lawlessness" that encourages further immigration violations. With the expectations surrounding DOGE and its initiatives, there is hope for a more efficient and responsible government approach moving forward.
