Amnesty’s Price: $12,433 for Every Legalized Immigrant Household

A fight has erupted over the costs of granting amnesty to the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in America, with the White House claiming the cash benefits to the Treasury are huge and will slash the deficit, and critics showing it will cost Americans more and increase the deficit.

The White House late Thursday dispatched an email to President Obama’s campaign supporters that provided a video claiming that immigration reform will result in a 5.4 percent growth in GDP as “highly skilled” workers and “entrepreneurs” add to the country’s economic base. No mention was made of low-skilled workers, the bulk of illegal immigrants in the country.

“Here’s one of the best things about immigration reform: It’s going to make our economy a lot stronger,” said the White House. {snip}

Critics are pushing back hard, led by the Heritage Foundation. Among the key points: reform supporters suggest that immigrants will suddenly be paying taxes when they become legal, but that’s already happening.

Heritage is highlighting a chart that details the taxes paid and government services received by all Americans, including illegal immigrants. It shows that after amnesty, immigrants will cost governments $12,433 in benefits over the taxes they pay per year. Over a lifetime of an adult illegal granted amnesty, the difference between benefits received and taxes paid would be a cost to taxpayers of $592,000.

Buried in a report from Robert Rector, the conservative foundation’s authority on poverty, welfare programs and immigration, the chart details taxes paid and benefits received by households headed by an illegal immigrant and how that will change after amnesty is granted.

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For comparison, non-immigrant families receive federal, state and local benefits such as education, welfare, public safety and health care worth about $310 more than they pay in taxes, said Heritage. And legal immigrant households get about $4,344 more than they pay in taxes.

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