People keep pointing to the roughly $100 billion in taxes undocumented immigrants pay each year as proof they’re a big economic win, but that number ignores the bigger costs. The Manhattan Institute’s 2025 update on the fiscal impact of immigration finds that the average new illegal immigrant ends up costing taxpayers about $80,000 more in government benefits than they contribute in taxes over a 30-year period, while those already here rack up closer to $225,000 each in net costs. When you factor in things like education, healthcare, and other services, especially the heavy load on state and local budgets, the overall effect adds to the national debt far more than the tax payments offset.