A White House Council of Economic Advisers report estimates that immigration policies associated with the Democratic Socialists of America could cost taxpayers between $440 billion and $613 billion over the next decade. The Trump administration is using the projections to criticize proposals involving mass amnesty, broader access to federal benefits and reduced immigration enforcement.
The report breaks out several potential costs. It estimates that expanding eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, federal housing assistance and Medicaid would add between $361 billion and $475 billion in federal spending over 10 years. Its annual estimates include $3.6 billion to $4.7 billion for food assistance, $2.3 billion to $3 billion for housing aid and up to $40 billion for Medicaid.
The council also estimates that ending immigration enforcement measures supported by President Donald Trump would eliminate $227 billion to $287 billion in projected taxpayer savings. After accounting for lower enforcement spending, it puts the resulting net cost at $79 billion to $139 billion over the decade. The article does not provide the report’s underlying methodology, and the figures describe estimated outcomes if the policies were adopted, rather than current expenditures.
Separately, the council calculates an average lifetime net fiscal cost of $166,716 per illegal immigrant and estimates that the current population of illegal immigrants represents $1.4 trillion to $1.9 trillion in taxpayer costs under its model. Those figures are also estimates attributed to the council. The report’s comparison with the cost of a four-year in-state public university education draws on College Board figures for 2025–26; it places the estimated lifetime cost above the roughly $124,000 college expense cited in the source material.
The White House has also promoted a broader estimate that the DSA’s agenda across several policy areas could cost $49 trillion over 10 years, or about $355,000 per American household. That projection covers more than immigration and is distinct from the immigration-specific range.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said the president had strengthened Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s efforts to remove people in the country illegally who have criminal records. She accused Democrats of favoring open-border policies and amnesty, and said those approaches could threaten public safety and impose costs on taxpayers. The comments reflect the administration’s position; the supplied material does not include a response from the DSA. Fox News Digital said it sought comment from the organization.
The administration also cited a 73% increase in drug interdictions through August 2026 compared with the same period in fiscal year 2024, and pointed to declining fentanyl-related deaths. The source does not provide additional details about those measures or establish that the reported changes resulted from a particular policy.
The report’s release comes as Democrats campaign on affordability ahead of the midterm elections. The administration argues that the proposed immigration policies could add to household and federal costs. The source also notes that the administration has moved to end certain Temporary Protected Status designations and revoke more than 250,000 visas. Some efforts to terminate TPS designations have faced legal challenges, leaving disputes over federal immigration authority unresolved.
