Amnesty tax: $15,000 per household, $1.2 trillion

By PAUL BEDARD (@SECRETSBEDARD) • 11/5/16 12:02 PM

Amnesty for illegal immigrants like a program proposed by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton would require an immediate tax hike of $1.2 trillion, a $15,000 hit on every household in America, according to a new analysis of immigration reform.

The authoritative National Academy of Sciences said the cost to give some 11 million illegals citizenship rights would be staggering, though it suggested long-term benefits.

A Heritage Foundation analysis of the NAS study looked at just the impact amnesty would have and said that an immediate tax increase of $1.29 trillion would be needed to finance the infrastructure, school, welfare and other costs of illegals.

"The findings in the report indicate that if amnesty for illegal immigrants were enacted, the government would have to raise taxes immediately by $1.29 trillion and put that sum into a high-yield bank account to cover future fiscal losses generated by the amnesty recipients and their children," said Robert Rector, Heritage's senior domestic research fellow.

"To cover the future cost, each U.S. household currently paying federal income tax would have to pay, on average, an immediate lump sum of over $15,000," he added.

Immigration has been a huge issue on the campaign trail and the two new analysis of the cost impact could have an impact on Tuesday's vote.

Donald Trump has promised to stop illegal immigration and deport up to 4-5 million illegals with criminal records. Clinton has said she will introduce comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to full and equal citizenship within her first 100 days in office. While it would require steps to citizenship, it has been described by immigration experts as a form of amnesty.

Rector explained that the costs are high because illegals are poorly educated and have children who get U.S. citizenship if born in the U.S.

From his analysis published on the Daily Signal:

Illegal immigrants currently receive routine government services such as roads, sewers, and police and fire protection. The children of illegal immigrants currently receive heavily subsidized public education at an average cost of $12,000 per child per year.

Children of illegal immigrants born in the U.S. are eligible for the same welfare benefits (such as food stamps, Medicaid, Obamacare, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) as children born to U.S citizens.

Because illegal immigrant families already receive many government benefits and services, they currently impose a fiscal cost on taxpayers. The benefits they receive exceed taxes paid.

Amnesty or "earned citizenship" would provide current illegal immigrants access to an additional level of expensive government entitlements and benefits.