The $5.2 Billion Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration On New Jersey Taxpayers | Ron Benvenisti

  • At the start of 2023, the net cost of illegal immigration for the United States – at the federal, state, and local levels – was at least $150.7 billion.
  • The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) arrived at this number by subtracting the tax revenue paid by illegal aliens – just under $32 billion – from the gross negative economic impact of illegal immigration, $182 billion.
  • In 2017, the estimated net cost of illegal migration was approximately $116 billion. In just 5 years, the cost to Americans has increased by nearly $35 billion.
  • Illegal immigration costs each American taxpayer $1,156 per year ($957 after factoring in taxes paid by illegal aliens).
  • Each illegal alien or U.S.-born child of illegal aliens costs the U.S. $8,776 annually.
  • Evidence shows that tax payments by illegal aliens cover only around a sixth of the costs they create at all levels in this country.
  • A large percentage of illegal aliens who work in the underground economy frequently avoid paying any income tax at all.
  • Many illegal aliens actually receive a net cash profit through refundable tax credit programs.
  • 31,000 people from every New Jersey county and more than 90 percent of municipalities have cases pending in immigration court.
  • New Jersey has the fifth-largest immigration court caseload in the nation, according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. The data also shows that more than three in four counties nationwide have active cases.
  • In New Jersey, people in every county are in court, with the numbers ranging from 57 in the northernmost Sussex County to 4,950 in urban Essex, according to the report. At least one person in 510 of the state’s municipalities — more than nine of every 10 — have cases pending.

New Jersey

New Jersey appears to be the first case of a state being made into a sanctuary for illegal aliens by the unilateral executive action of a non-elected official.

Hailed by Democrats Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, on November 29, 2018 New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal issued a directive turning the Garden State into a sanctuary state. The New Jersey Attorney General, unlike those of most states, is appointed by the governor, in this case Governor Phil Murphy (D).

The directive prohibits all state and local law enforcement agencies and officers in New Jersey from:

  • Stopping, questioning, arresting, searching, or detaining anyone based solely on actual or suspected immigration status or actual or suspected civil immigration violations;
  • Asking anyone about their immigration status unless it is “necessary to the ongoing investigation of an indictable offense by that individual; and … relevant to the offense under investigation”;
  • Participating in immigration enforcement operations;
  • Providing “non-public personally identifying information” to federal immigration authorities;
  • Providing access to non-public office space, equipment, databases or property to federal immigration authorities;
  • Providing access to anyone in their custody to be interviewed by federal immigration authorities unless they sign a form indicating they voluntarily consent and have the right to have a lawyer present;
  • Providing notice to federal immigration authorities of a person’s upcoming release unless they’re currently charged with or have ever been convicted of a “violent serious offense,” or have been convicted of another felony within the previous five years;
  • Holding anyone on a federal immigration detainer unless they’re currently charged with or have ever been convicted of a “violent serious offense,” or have been convicted of another felony within the previous five years, even in which case they still may not be held past 11:59 of the same day; or
  • Entering into, modifying, renewing or extending any 287(g) cooperative agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) except with the written approval of the Attorney General (three county sheriffs in New Jersey currently have such agreements). Ocean County does not have such an agreement the Sheriff.

The directive also instructs prosecutors in New Jersey to: “not simply assume that a non-citizen presents a risk of flight” for purposes of setting bail; “not seek to admit … evidence [about immigration] without first raising the issue with the Court outside of the jury’s presence;” and “be mindful of potential collateral consequences [such as deportation] and consider such consequences in attempting to reach a just resolution of the case.”

Biden’s Afghan Refugee Camp At Fort Dix Joint Base Is ‘Larger Than Half The Towns In NJ’

South Jersey has been hosting unvetted families evacuated from Afghanistan as America’s 20-year war ended last year. The facility is officially known as “Liberty Village” at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

It is the only location still accepting new Afghan arrivals from overseas, according to the Department of Homeland Security, it is likely to be among the last sites to shut down, based on its housing capacity and proximity to Philadelphia, the main U.S. port of entry… for new Liberty Village arrivals. Refugee agencies are struggling with a shortage of affordable housing and the sheer magnitude of the operation and its effect on taxpayers.

In New Jersey, about 3,500 people have left for permanent homes arriving on the sprawling base last year. America is a generous, welcoming country, especially for at-risk individuals and their families who are fleeing repression for a better life, but resettlement is costing the American taxpayer billions of dollars. Many refugees have simply walked off the base in what the government calls “independent departure.”

In the coming years we are certain to see additional billions in New Jersey taxpayer dollars spent on healthcare for illegal aliens, none of which is reimbursable by the federal government. In 2022, multiple states adopted legislation expanding illegal aliens’ access to medical benefit programs at taxpayer expense. Full state-funded Medicaid coverage was approved in the 2022 state budget and will be provided to illegal aliens 65 or older once implemented. Coverage for this age group, as California and Illinois have proven, is extremely expensive. With Medicaid costing over $20,000 a year per senior enrollee in New York, the fiscal impact of this expansion will cost billions once fully in place. New Jersey also has additional programs set to go into effect in the coming years that will expand coverage to certain categories of illegal aliens.

IMMIGRANTS IN NJ (Unauthorized Population: 937,000)

State # of Illegal Aliens # of Illegal Aliens & their Kids Cost Per Alien to State Taxpayers Cost Of Illegal Aliens To State Taxpayers Cost of Illegal Aliens & their Kids to State Taxpayers
New Jersey 697,000 937,000 $ 5,625 $ 3,920,584,853 $ 5,270,571,029

 

Towns with the most immigrants. Estimates and % of population

1. Jersey City: 104,565 (40%)
Top nationality: India

2. Newark: 81,187 (29%)
Top nationality: Ecuador

3. Elizabeth: 60,559 (47%)
Top nationality: Colombia

4. Paterson: 50,354 (34%)
Top nationality: Dominican Republic

5. Edison: 45,667 (45%)
Top nationality: India

6. Union City: 40,334 (59%)
Top nationality: Dominican Republic

7. Woodbridge: 31,686 (31%)
Top nationality: India

8. West New York: 51,860 (59%)
Top nationality: Cuba

9. North Bergen: 62,590 (49%)
Top nationality: Cuba

10. Clifton: 85,552 (35%)
Top nationality: Peru

Towns with the greatest % of immigrants.
1. Palisades Park – 64%
Top nationality: Korea

2. Union City – 59%
Top nationality: Dominican Republic

2. West New York – 59%
Top nationality: Cuba

2. East Newark – 59%
Top nationality: Ecuador

5. Guttenberg – 58%
Top nationality: Cuba

6. Fort Lee – 53%
Top nationality: Korea

7. Harrison (Hudson) – 52%
Top nationality: Peru

8. North Bergen – 49%
Top nationality: Cuba

8. Fairview – 49%
Top nationality: Guatemala

10. Dover – 48%
Top nationality: Colombia

While Lakewood does not make the top towns on the list, Lakewood taxpayers still shoulder the tax burden for the State.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. From ‘illegal immigrants’, the problem pivoted to ‘immigrants’.

    Telling us the truth about our xenophobics. They aren’t against illegal immigration, they are against all immigration. Our ancestors immigrated, and now we wish to shut the door on anyone else.
    For shame!

  2. The short sighted analysis did not account the economic benefits they provide including performing work citizens are unwilling to do or work they do not have the skills to do. That analysis would favor immigration. Much like the same was true when your parents and grand parents emigrated here. Top of the list is Jersey City within Indian immigrants performing work in the latter category, skilled labor. And they come here legally. That plus a declining birth rate (outside of Lakewood), our country needs more workers to fill jobs. Fix the immigration laws to something more realistic. That goes for both the Democrats and Republicans.

  3. The Indian people in Jersey City have H1-B visas which have destroyed the IT employment for Americans. Companies must do an E-Verify for every immigrant, legal or not and if the applicant fails, they can’t be hired.
    The article is talking about illegal. I know many families and individuals who went through the process to become legal, including my own grand-parents who became US citizens. They got legit hires by honest companies. I don’t want illegals serving me or anywhere near my property. Look at all the crime, some lethal (murder, child abuse of all sorts, drug and child trafficking) by illegals. No thanks.
    If you look at the article you will see that there are tax revenues collected from immigrants.

  4. The illegal immigrants are supplying us with much needed lower cost labor. Inflation would be much higher without them. The American people refuse to do the jobs they fill. A better alternative would allow people to come here legally for a number of years with a work visa & then return to their country. I believe that the unions oppose this solution.

  5. I graduated from High School and I wish that the applications would return so I can fill out for a job, but cleaning houses in Lakewood that’s not for me

Comments are closed.