Federation for American Immigration Reform reports $150.7 billion annual cost of birthright citizenship

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) reports that birthright citizenship for children of immigrants costs federal, state, and local taxpayers approximately $150.7 billion annually. According to FAIR, roughly half of these expenditures are directed toward education, while the remainder covers healthcare and nutritional assistance.

Policy analysts suggest that broad interpretations of the 14th Amendment have facilitated “birth tourism” and commercial surrogacy operations in states including California, New York, and Florida, as well as the Northern Mariana Islands. Mateo Forero, FAIR’s director of investigations, stated that misinterpretations of the Constitution have led to unintended consequences such as birth tourism.

A recent high-profile case in Los Angeles County involving alleged abuse of surrogate-born children has brought renewed attention to these issues. Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, identified as Chinese immigrants, face charges including conspiracy to commit child abuse related to 21 children born via surrogacy. The couple has pleaded not guilty and is currently held on $20 million bail.