U.S. fiscal reports estimate high costs of immigration and birthright citizenship

New reports have released estimates regarding the fiscal impact of undocumented immigration and birthright citizenship in the United States. 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, half of these costs are attributed to education, with the remainder covering healthcare and nutritional assistance. The organization noted that legal interpretations of the 14th Amendment have led to issues such as “birth tourism” and commercial surrogacy.

Separately, the White House Council of Economic Advisers released a report titled “The Real Cost of Socialism in America,” which estimates the lifetime net fiscal cost of each undocumented immigrant at $166,716. This cumulative projection, adjusted to 2026 dollars, suggests a total fiscal cost for the current undocumented population in the U.S. ranging from $1.4 trillion to $1.9 trillion. The report also suggests that mass amnesty could increase annual federal spending on programs like SNAP, HUD assistance, and Medicaid by between $36 billion and $47 billion.