DEPORTATION/VETTING

COST OF DEPORTATION (AI): Cost Per Deportation

The cost of deporting a single person varies significantly depending on the circumstances, such as how long they are detained and the legal processing involved. 

• Current ICE estimates: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports an average cost of at least $17,121 per deportation.

• Independent analyses: Other studies, cited by the Penn Wharton Budget Model, estimate the average cost per deportee to be around $70,236, with some analyses ranging from $30,591 to $109,880. 

Historical and Annual Spending

Immigration enforcement budgets have increased dramatically since the 1990s. For example, in FY 2025 (fiscal year), the total funding for immigration and border enforcement was nearly $34 billion before additional funding packages were enacted. In July 2025, a significant budget act gave ICE an additional $30 billion for tracking, arresting, and deporting immigrants over four years, nearly tripling its annual budget for enforcement operations. 

Projected Costs of Mass Deportation

Most recent analyses focus on the potential costs of proposed mass deportation plans, which project massive expenditures and significant economic impacts: 

• Single operation: A one-time operation to deport all an estimated 13.3 million targeted immigrants in the U.S. would cost at least $315 billion.

• Over a decade: Deporting one million individuals per year over a decade could cost approximately $967.9 billion, or an average of $88 billion annually.

• Total economic impact: Beyond the direct government expense, a mass deportation program would cause an estimated loss of $1.1 trillion to $1.7 trillion in U.S. GDP. It would also result in a significant loss of tax revenue from undocumented immigrants, who currently pay billions in federal, state, and local taxes. 

• Vetting an immigrant involves various mandatory government fees, like petition processing ($535 for I-130) and visa application fees ($325-$345), plus potential costs for medical exams, attorney services, translation, and extra services like premium processing, totaling hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the visa type and case complexity, with new H.R. 1 fees adding to asylum applications (around $100)

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Illinois is releasing hundreds of illegal (criminal) aliens back into the system. 12/8/25

OPINION:

Many good immigrants have proven that they are willing to do jobs that most Americans will not do. Why must vetting be so difficult? Many hardworking immigrants were living in peace, not asking the system for any help. Why can’t they stay, if they are/were making a contribution for the USA? AS IN: You’re already here, sign here! This is where “common sense” proves that it will not return!

-Cliff Tompkins. 12/8/25