In our ideologically driven world, getting accurate, bias-free research and information on any public policy topic is difficult. There are those who have absurdly claimed that illegal immigration is beneficial to the US. Common sense would tell you that the cost of illegal drug importation and use, other crimes committed by these people, use of health care, housing and other resources; all combine to impose an incredibly high cost on the country from these people. Unlike legal immigrants, who typically have a job and a supporting community they are coming to, illegals range freely about the country, often homeless, and often committing crimes to support themselves. Democrats support this because they can use illegal immigrants as part of their voter fraud machine that keeps them in power.
A new draft paper from a Federal Reserve bank provides clear evidence that illegal immigrants do in fact cost the US a lot, a whole lot, and the average consumer bears that cost. According to the analysis, the incredibly large increase in illegal immigration during the Biden administration led to higher house prices and rents. Somewhat inconsistently, the authors said that wages did not appear to decline, but per capita personal labor income did. The only possible explanation for this is that the illegal workers were being paid less than filling the same positions with legal workers would have cost. I would also note that the authors did not look at impacts on other costs such as health care and food, but I would expect a similar negative impact. As I said, the paper is in draft form, there will be pressure from some quarters to revise it, but the Fed really is pretty independent and it has good research groups. (FR Paper)
