Is it a one-time cost or a recurring cost?
Cost and logistics of immigration removal in the US
The cost to the US taxpayer for removing undocumented immigrants varies widely depending on the scope of the operation, the duration of detention, and the legal complexity of the case. These costs are generally ongoing, not one-time expenses.
1. How much is it costing the US taxpayer?
The total cost encompasses arrest, detention, legal processing, and transportation.
A. Cost per individual
Current estimates for the average all-inclusive cost to arrest, detain, process, and deport a single undocumented immigrant range significantly:
- Low-end estimate: Around $10,800 – $17,100 per person. (This often focuses on the direct removal and basic processing costs.)
- Comprehensive estimate: More detailed studies, which factor in the full cost of identifying, arresting, months-long detention, legal proceedings, and removal, place the average cost much higher, around $70,200 per deportee.
B. Total system costs
When looking at proposals for mass deportation or current annual spending, the figures escalate rapidly:
- Annual system cost: Studies suggest that an effort to arrest, detain, process, and remove one million undocumented immigrants per year could cost the U.S. government at least $88 billion annually.
- Projected long-term cost: A comprehensive, multi-year deportation policy could add nearly $1 trillion in primary deficits over the first decade, separate from the economic impacts of reduced labor and lost tax revenue.
2. Is it a one-time cost or a recurring cost?
The cost of the immigration enforcement system is recurring and systemic.
- One-time cost (per individual): The specific costs of transporting one person out of the country is a one-time transaction for that individual.
- Recurring cost (for the system): The vast majority of the expense is the annual, recurring operational cost of the entire removal infrastructure, including:
Salaries for tens of thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.
The massive budget required to run detention centers can cost hundreds of dollars per day per detainee.
Funding for the immigration court system (Executive Office for Immigration Review).
3. Where are they being sent if the host country refuses?
The US generally deports individuals to their country of citizenship or last residence. However, if a foreign country refuses to issue travel documents or accept its national back (a “recalcitrant” country), the US has a few options:
A. Diplomatic and legal pressure
The US government uses various measures to compel the cooperating country:
- Visa sanctions: Under US law, the Secretary of State may be notified, which can lead to the imposition of visa sanctions—discontinuing or limiting the issuance of US visas (both immigrant and non-immigrant) to nationals of that country.
- Economic and diplomatic leverage: The US also applies significant diplomatic pressure, and in some cases, the threat of economic sanctions or tariffs to incentivize cooperation.
B. Indefinite detention or release
Crucially, the US Supreme Court has ruled that the US government cannot detain a non-citizen indefinitely. If the government determines that removal to the home country is not “reasonably foreseeable” (typically within a six-month period), the non-citizen may be released from detention and supervised within the United States, even if they have a final order of removal.
C. Third-country removal
In rare and complex legal situations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is authorized under the Immigration and Nationality Act to remove a non-citizen to a third country (not the country of origin), but only if the removal to the home country is deemed “impracticable, inadvisable, or impossible.” This practice is heavily scrutinized and often challenged in the US courts due to concerns over due process and the safety of the individual being deported.
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