Infographic: Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on Californians

A new study from FAIR finds that providing education, health care, law enforcement, and social and government services to illegal aliens and their dependents costs California taxpayers $25.3 billion a year, which is an increase of some $4.7 billion since 2010. These costs amount to a $2,370 a year burden per California household headed by a U.S. citizen. The infographic below summarizes what illegal immigration in California costs taxpayers.

Want more information? Read the report, The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on Californians.

About the Report

The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on Californians estimates that about 3 million illegal aliens resided in the state as of 2013. In addition, there were about 1.1 million U.S.-born children of illegal aliens living in California who, like other U.S.-born children, may participate in means-tested programs and benefits. Though these children are U.S. citizens, they would not be in California if not for the fact that their parents violated U.S. immigration laws.

Among the report's key findings:

  • The estimated illegal alien population plus the U.S.-born children constitutes at least 10.7% of the state’s population in 2013.
  • Taxpayer-subsidized in-state tuition extended to illegal alien students costs more than $102.7 million.
  • The California Student Aid Commission reportedly planned to award about 6,000 Cal grants, a new financial aid program, to illegal alien students in the 2013-2014 school year — amounting to about $19.5 million.
  • Incarcerating deportable aliens amounts to nearly $1.5 billion in net annual costs.
  • Emergency medical treatment to illegal aliens provided by the state cost taxpayers an estimated $1.3 billion each year.

Total state and local public assistance funding received in the CalWorks and school meal programs amounts to an estimated $791.6 million annually.

For more information and updated statistics view FAIR's 2017 report: The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigrants on US Taxpayers