With so much attention and politics regarding the Mexican-United States border I have often wondered how much do those who risk their lives to come to the U.S. really cost Americans?

After reading Luis Urrea’s book The Devil’s Highway, who writes about US-Mexican border culture, I was further puzzled and alarmed as to why the current politics are the way they are regarding our border. Born in Tijuana, to a Mexican father and a white mother, Urrea describes himself as “son of the border”. The Devil’s Highway gives the reader an unbiased perspective of the walkers, the guides (Coyotes), and the Border Patrol (La Migra).

So again I ask, is the cost for immigrants a tangible number, or does it depend on how you look at it?

The Center of Immigration Studies did a number crunch in 2001 and they came up with shocking data that states each adult illegal that crosses the Mexican boarder costs the United States an average of $55,200 that’s taxes paid minus services used. This includes welfare, school services, medical services and additional outreaches costing the US $55K and change throughout a lifetime of back breaking labor.

Each adult illegal that crosses the Mexican boarder costs the US an average of $55,200

Refusing to stop there I did some more research and discovered that various studies have revealed that illegal immigrants actually assist in keeping the minimum wage down allowing managers and owners to make more money by saving on low wages and cheaper product.

Additionally, most illegals pay federal income and state taxes, but do not receive federal or state tax refunds. Social Security comes out of their check, but will remain unused after retirement. What about sales taxes they pay for gas, diapers, cigarettes and beer? Parking tickets, tortillas, clothes, water bills, toys, school supplies and used cars? Over a lifetime does it start to cancel out the 55K?

Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management, released a study that showed “Arizona gets $8 billion in economic impact annually from the relationship with Mexico” where Mexico receives $5.5 billion.” That’s 2.5 billion towards the 55K. The report goes on, “Mexican immigrants paid nearly $600 million in federal taxes and sales taxes in 2002″ Mexican immigrants use about $250 million in social services such as Medicaid and food stamps “Another $31 million in uncompensated health care”. That is a profit of $319 million.

What about sales taxes they pay for gas, diapers, cigarettes and beer? Parking tickets, tortillas, clothes, water bills, toys, school supplies and used cars?

The Arizona Republic newspaper further quotes the report:

– The average annual wage for Arizonans is $28,355; for the state’s Mexican immigrants it’s $12,963.
– Mexican tourists and visitors spent $962 million in Arizona in 2001 while state residents spent about $328 million in Mexico.
– Remittances from the state’s Mexican immigrants to their homeland reached $486 million last year, with those transactions generating about $57 million in fees to Arizona banks and financial institutions.

When it’s all said and done the 55K didn’t seem to have much weight. I was under the impression that numbers don’t lie, but in this situation I found it depends on what vantage point you are looking from.