In recent months, the topic of illegal immigration and the impact that it has from a financial standpoint has been brought the forefront of national political discussion.
For some, it is more of a humanitarian crisis than a financial one. For others, it is a tax burden that is both concerning and unjust. According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas taxpayers are footed with an annual bill of $855 million as a result of illegal immigration.
Paxton is attempting to bring attention to the issue, especially in light of the recent controversy surrounding the handling of illegal immigrants seeking refuge at the border by the Biden administration. Earlier this year, Paxton initiated legal action against the Biden administration in protest of its freeze of deportations. Paxton was victorious in that case.
"Texans can not continue to foot this bill for those who skirt the law," Paxton said.
This is not the first time that Paxton has begun a crusade against the costs of illegal immigration that are charged to the taxpayer. In fact, he has led a 14-state coalition that had its case heard before the U.S. Supreme Court with regard to the public-charge rule, which is a federal law that prohibits the placement of illegal immigrants that are likely to rely on state-funded aid in states that do not wish to provide refuge.
“Texas taxpayers are forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars every year to sustain the services our state must provide to illegal aliens. Without the public-charge rule, our Medicaid budget and other vital services will explode and be spread too thin, costing taxpayers millions more and reducing the quality of service we can provide,” Paxton said. “President Biden failed to work through the administrative rule-making process and left Texas, along with our neighboring states, vulnerable. This is a shameless attempt to unravel common-sense immigration policies favored by a strong majority of Texans, and it cannot stand.”
Paxton's research has uncovered the amounts that the state spends on illegal immigration each year. According to his investigation, Texans pay up to $717 million to for healthcare for illegal aliens, $152 million to house them, up to $90 million for Emergency Medicaid, up to $63 million for education, and up to $38 million per year for perinatal coverage through CHIP.
The Texas Attorney General shows no signs of slowing down in his efforts to prevent Texan taxpayers from paying the bill for illegal immigrants.
“Texans are hardworking and generous people, but the cost of illegal immigration is an unconscionable burden on the taxpayers of our great state. If we use the minimum estimated costs for services Texas provides to unlawfully present and undocumented aliens, taxpayers are shelling out an estimated $855 million every year,” Paxton said. “Texas will always welcome those who legally immigrate, but we cannot continue forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for individuals who skirt the law and skip the line. I will continue to fight for justice, safety and prosperity for all Texans.”
The Biden administration has gained heat from both sides of the aisle for not addressing the situation or providing Texas with the resources that it needs to fix the situation.