The Cost of Deportation in the United States

I, like many others, have been thinking a lot about the direction the United States is moving in. The United States has always been a nation built by immigrants, people who came searching for safety, opportunity, and a better life.

In recent months, immigration enforcement has taken a sharp turn. Since the beginning of the current administration’s second term, immigration enforcement has been significantly intensified, with a renewed focus on large-scale deportations. As someone who grew up in the United States and is now watching from afar, I feel a deep concern. Not just for the individuals affected, but for the long-term social and economic costs to the country.

In just the first four months of 2025, nearly 200,000 undocumented immigrants have been deported (Reuters). Each one of these 200,000 people has a story. One of these immigrants is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose story has made news globally. He came to the U.S. from El Salvador at just 16 years old, fleeing gang violence. On March 15th, 2025, he was mistakenly deported due to what officials are calling an “administrative error.” Now, he’s back in El Salvador, sitting in a prison and facing human trafficking charges; charges he denies. Then there’s O.C.G., a gay man deported to Mexico after fleeing his home country of Guatemala due to sexuality-based violence. According to legal advocates, he wasn’t given due process, a right guaranteed under U.S. law. These aren’t isolated incidents; they highlight serious flaws in the American immigration system.

It’s important to note that immigration enforcement has been a complex and often contentious issue across multiple administrations. In fact, data shows that during his final year in office, President Biden deported more individuals overall, but the focus of enforcement was different. Biden primarily deported those at entrance across the border; the current approach places greater emphasis on removing individuals who have resided in the U.S. for extended periods. Raids have reportedly taken place in previously considered safe spaces, such as churches and schools, raising concerns among communities. These practices raise difficult questions about morality, cost, and long-term impact.

Strong immigration policy is far from an inherently bad thing. Maintaining clear enforcement protects national security, builds public confidence, and ensures rule of law. Solid immigration policies can help protect workers from exploitation and limit human trafficking. The challenge is ensuring that these policies are well-executed, avoiding harm to communities, and economic burden.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the average cost to arrest, detain, and deport a single undocumented immigrant is $17,121. Multiply that by hundreds of thousands, and it’s not shocking that ICE is already $1 billion over budget, even with three months remaining in the fiscal year. To address this the administration has endorsed the “Big Beautiful Bill”, a proposal which allocates $168 billion to immigration enforcement and border control (Axios). This would be funded by taxpayers. However, more than half of Americans are skeptical of this approach, primarily citing concerns of national debt (Pew Research).

Paradoxically, undocumented immigrants are part of this taxpayer base. In 2022 alone, they paid nearly $97 billion in state and federal taxes (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy). People who don’t have access to most government services are still contributing more than many of us realize.

Mass deportations also threaten key economic sectors. Undocumented immigrants hold vital roles in industries like construction, agriculture, and hospitality, which are already struggling with labor shortages. Deporting these workers doesn’t just hurt families; it puts the economy at risk. Some experts estimate that removing undocumented labor could shrink the U.S. GDP by as much as 6.8% (Axios). And most Americans understand this. Around 75% say that undocumented immigrants do the jobs most U.S. citizens don’t want to do (Pew Research). These jobs are hard, underpaid, and often dangerous.

So, when I look at what’s happening in the United States I have to ask: What are we really gaining from all this? Is this approach to immigration creating more problems than it’s solving?

Sources:

Axios. (June 2025). ICE’s cash crisis deepens amid immigration crackdown [online] Available at: https://www.axios.com/2025/06/16/ice-cash-crisis-immigration-crackdown-trump

Axios. (Nov. 2025). The industries that could be hardest hit by Trump’s immigration crackdown [online] Available at: https://www.axios.com/2024/11/19/undocumented-workers-immigration-deportation-trump

CATO Institute. (June 2025). Deportations to Add Almost $1 Trillion in Costs to the “Big Beautiful Bill” [online] Available at: https://www.cato.org/blog/deportations-add-almost-1-trillion-costs-gops-big-beautiful-bill

Department of Homeland Security. (May 2025). DHS Announces Historic Travel Assistance and Stipend for Voluntary Self-Deportation [Online] Available at: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/05/05/dhs-announces-historic-travel-assistance-and-stipend-voluntary-self-deportation

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. (July 2024). Tax Payments by Undocumented Immigrants [online] Available at:  https://itep.org/undocumented-immigrants-taxes-2024/

Pew Research. (March 2025). Americans’ Views of Deportations [online] Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/03/26/views-on-deportations-and-arrests-of-immigrants-in-the-u-s-illegally/

Pew Research. (June 2025). How Americans view the GOP’s budget and tax bill [online] Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/06/17/how-americans-view-the-gops-budget-and-tax-bill/

Reuters. (March, 2025). Trump deporting people at a slower rate than Biden’s last year in office [online] Available at:  https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-set-broaden-arrests-deportation-routes-expand-immigration-crackdown-2025-02-21/