Illegal immigration has consequences for our society, and given the fact that many states are apparently willing to cater to them and treat them better than legal migrants and citizens, there are especially financial consequences.

A new study conducted by the Federation for Immigration Reform (FAIR) reveals the staggering amount of money that states and the federal government shell out to deal with the issue of illegal aliens. The amount of money that the states and feds spend is truly breathtaking.

FAIR’s study reveals that in order to address the issue of nearly 12.5 million illegal aliens present in the United States, the federal government lays out over $45 billion.

The Federal government spends a net amount of $45.8 billion on illegal aliens and their U.S.-born children. This amount includes expenditures for public education, medical care, justice enforcement initiatives, welfare programs and other miscellaneous costs. It also factors in the meager amount illegal aliens pay to the federal government in income, social security, Medicare and excise taxes.

To compound that issue, many of those who live here illegally actually file tax returns; they do so because the focus of ICE and other immigration agencies has been to remove illegal aliens with criminal records, so those who are simply here with a civil violation and not a criminal one are much less likely to be deported.

Hence, many will often file tax returns. The issue that arises is the fact that since many of them work lower-paying jobs, they will often get all of their taxes returned to them, along with net payments due to various tax credits. So the idea that since they pay taxes there is no loss is mathematically incorrect.

The majority of illegal aliens seeking employment in the United States have lived in an environment where they have little fear of deportation, even if discovered. This has created an environment where most illegal aliens are both able and willing to file tax returns. Because the vast majority of illegal aliens hold low-paying jobs, those who are subject to wage deductions actually wind up receiving a complete refund of all taxes paid, plus net payments made on the basis of tax credits.

While the burden on the federal government is rather large, the burden on the states is even greater though, with nearly $89 billion being spent due to issues arising from the presence of illegal aliens.

Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of how much illegal aliens cost each state:

The costs include expenditures on things like educational, medical, administration of justice, and welfare expenses. Some of these expenses are mandated on the states, like educational. The Supreme Court of Plyler vs Doe established the rule that all children, regardless of immigration status, have the “right” to an education in public schools.

A total of sixteen states even offer in-state tuition to illegal aliens: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

In total, illegal aliens contributed $18 billion in taxes to state and federal governments. However, the total cost at both levels is $134 billion, leaving a deficit of $115 billion.

That’s a lot of money to be shelling out for the more than 12 million people who are living in the U.S. illicitly. Mass deportations are likely not a viable solution to the issue, but there has to be some way that we can deal with it to save money.

What do you think? Do you have any practicable solutions that the states and federal government can enact to save money and discourage future illegal migration? Let me know below!

H/T Turning Point USA News