Illegal Border Crossings Today:

Illegal Immigration

Illegal Immigration

Each year, millions of aliens deliberately violate our nation’s laws by unlawfully crossing U.S. borders.

Fast Facts
  • Illegal migration costs the American taxpayer approximately $182.1 billion annually as of the beginning of 2023.
  • Illegal aliens only contribute approximately $31.4 billion in taxes at the state and federal levels, meaning that illegal immigration costs American taxpayers a net of at least $150.7 billion, annually.
  • There are at least approximately 15.5 million illegal aliens in the United States as of the beginning of 2022, a jump of approximately 3 million people since 2017.
  • There are 564 lawless “sanctuary” jurisdictions throughout the United States as of May 2018.
  • In Fiscal Year 2022, the Border Patrol encountered a record 2,378,944 illegal aliens at the United States’ southwest border with Mexico. Additionally, Border Patrol agents observed more than 606,000 illegal aliens enter the country without being encountered by law enforcement (also known as “gotaways”).
  • Illegal aliens are typically at least three times more likely to be incarcerated than citizens and legal immigrants.
Illegal Immigration and its Effects on the Lives of Americans

Each year, hundreds of thousands of aliens deliberately violate our nation’s laws by unlawfully crossing U.S. borders. This kind of illegal entry is a misdemeanor. When repeated after deportation, it becomes a felony.

Two types of illegal aliens exist in the U.S. today. Those who illegally enter the country are referred to as EWIs. Those who enter legally and then stay illegally are referred to as over-stayers.

Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. The consequences of illegal immigration are far-reaching.

  • Illegal Immigration causes an enormous drain on public funds
  • The needs of endless numbers of poor, unskilled illegal entrants undermine the quality of education, healthcare and other services for Americans
  • Job-desperate illegal immigrants unfairly depress the wages and working conditions offered to American workers, hitting hardest at minority workers and those without high school degrees.
  • Illegal immigration contributes to population growth, overwhelming communities by crowding classrooms, consuming already limited affordable housing, and increasing the strain on precious natural resources like water, energy, and forestland.
  • Illegal Immigration undermines national security, allowing potential terrorists to hide in the same shadows

Previous administration policies and hold outs in the current administration are constraining authorities from detaining and deporting most illegal aliens except for those with criminal convictions or threats to the national security.

Enforcement Improvements that go Beyond the Border

FAIR supports comprehensive efforts to end illegal immigration.

The three major components of immigration control – deterrence, apprehension and removal– need to be strengthened by Congress and the Executive Branch.

Controlling illegal immigration requires a balanced approach with a full range of enforcement improvements that go far beyond the border. These include:

  • Procedural reforms
  • Strengthened investigation capacity
  • Asylum reform
  • Documentation improvements
  • Improvements in detention and deportation procedures
  • Limitations on judicial review
  • Improved intelligence capacity, greatly improved state/federal cooperation, and added resources

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