Tax Payments by Illegal Immigrants?
A recent analysis misses half the issue
By Jason Richwine on August 15, 2024
When the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) released its latest study of tax payments made by illegal immigrants, some advocates were notably excited, including a labor union and a former Labor Department secretary:
Even leaving aside the labor movement’s self-defeating embrace of mass immigration, the enthusiasm for this study is difficult to understand. Since nearly all U.S. residents pay taxes in one form or another, it would be shocking if illegal immigrants did not also pay. The more interesting question is how the taxes that illegal immigrants contribute compare to the benefits they receive. Despite being half the fiscal ledger, however, benefits receive no valuation in the ITEP analysis.
Let’s help fill in the blanks. In congressional testimony earlier this year, my colleague Steven Camarota explained that households headed by illegal immigrants make extensive use of cash, food, housing, and medical programs. How is that possible? There are several ways. Adult illegal immigrants receive some of these benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children, while illegal immigrant children can directly receive free school lunch and benefits from the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program. Furthermore, a number of states now provide Medicaid to certain illegal immigrants, and a few even provide food stamps.
https://cis.org/Richwine/Tax-Payments-Illegal-Immigrants
