Free Republic

Amnesty supporters have been pushing claims that deporting illegal aliens would cost fantastic amounts of money. The truth is that legalizing a horde of low wage people who already use massive amounts of government services would be fantastically expensive. This analysis, if anything, understates the real numbers. But it's a window into just what illegal alien amnesty would cost us.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) delivered her case Friday against the comprehensive immigration reform proposal, saying it would cost $6 trillion and particularly harm blacks and Hispanics. “What I’m asking all of us to consider are the profound implications of what this will mean, because amnesty will cost a fortune,” Bachmann said at the Road to Majority Conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Faith & Freedom Coalition. “We’re looking at a $6 trillion cost for amnesty. Just the retirement benefits alone for illegal aliens—which must be born by the American people—is something like $2.7 trillion.” The Congressional Budget Office has...

Granting amnesty to illegal immigrants would cost $6.3 trillion, according to a new report by the Heritage Foundation. … Not only would the federal deficit increase, but the cost of benefits and services to millions of newly minted citizens would reach nearly $10 trillion. …

Executive Summary Unlawful immigration and amnesty for current unlawful immigrants can pose large fiscal costs for U.S. taxpayers. Government provides four types of benefits and services that are relevant to this issue: Direct benefits. These include Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation. Means-tested welfare benefits. There are over 80 of these programs which, at a cost of nearly $900 billion per year, provide cash, food, housing, medical, and other services to roughly 100 million low-income Americans. Major programs include Medicaid, food stamps, the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, public housing, Supplemental Security Income, and Temporary Assistance for Needy...