A report was released today by the Refugee Resettlement Watch taking a look at how much the refugee resettlement program costs U.S. taxpayers. They found that the United States spends around $1 billion a year in tax dollars to resettle just over 100,00 refugees and asylees in per year.
However, this figure does not include the costs associated with the Unaccompanied Alien Children's Program (UAC), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income programs, the Victims of Domestic Trafficking, food stamps, public housing, WIC, education for the children, costs associated with the criminal justice system, interpreters, etc.
According to the New York Times, 52,000 UACs illegally crossed the border during the surge this summer. Once processed, they were relocated across the country. All of these costs are not considered during the Presidential Determination that estimates the number of refugees brought to the U.S. each fiscal year.
When the cost of UACs and the benefits given to all refugees and asylees are calculated, experts say the costs would run the tab up to $5-$10 billion each year.
For more on this story, see Refugee Resettlement Watch.
