The Department of Homeland Security recently announced that nearly three million illegal aliens departed the United States during President Trump’s first year in office, including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations and over 675,000 formal deportations. This figure represents a significant shift in immigration enforcement under the administration’s policies.
FAIR research reveals that the 18.6 million illegal aliens currently residing in the U.S.—and their U.S.-born children—cost taxpayers $150.7 billion annually after accounting for minimal tax contributions. The recent removals translate to an immediate savings of approximately $24.3 billion for American households.
Critically, these reductions prevent compounding future costs. If the three million individuals removed had remained in the country without legal consequences, their cumulative impact on taxpayer burdens would reach $243 billion by 2034—adjusting for inflation, this figure would be substantially higher.
The scale of removals equates to the illegal alien population of 34 smaller and medium-sized states plus the District of Columbia, or roughly the total numbers in California alone. This magnitude underscores the tangible fiscal impact of ongoing enforcement efforts.
Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel at the Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington, D.C.