April 26, 2022 2:18pm EDT
Illegal immigrant population increased by 1 million in Biden's first year: analysis
There were more than 221,000 migrant encounters in March and the number is expected to rise
By Adam Shaw | Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: The number of illegal immigrants living in the United States increased by approximately a million in the first year of the Biden administration, and cost the American taxpayer an additional $9.4 billion, according to a new analysis by a conservative group.
The study, an early copy of which was obtained by Fox News Digital, was written by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) which advocates for lower levels of immigration overall.
The study estimates that there are approximately 15.5 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, up from 14.5 million in 2020. Other estimates have typically put that number at around 11 million for years, but immigration hawks have expressed skepticism that the number has stayed flat given the increased activity at the border.
FAIR’s analysis also conducted a fiscal cost study, finding that illegal immigrants are imposing a net fiscal burden of at least $143.1 billion – an increase of $9.4 billion over 2020.
The group puts the increase in population down to two factors – the first being the improvement of the U.S. economy as it re-opens after COVID-19.
"Businesses are once again hiring, and many unscrupulous employers are using this as an opportunity to turn to reliably cheap labor to undercut the market and make up for lost profits resulting from economic shutdowns stemming from the pandemic," the report says. "These unethical hiring practices occur even though millions of Americans remain unemployed or underemployed."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-illegal-immigrant-population-increased-million
