Trump is offering illegal aliens $1,000 each to leave the country voluntarily. With courts waging lawfare against his administration and obstructing the mass deportation effort voters supported, this offer appears to be a strategic alternative born of necessity.
Critics on X are sounding alarms about the potential taxpayer cost. “Do the math,” they say—imagine how much it’ll cost if millions accept. But this framing ignores a critical reality: illegal immigration already imposes a massive cost on American taxpayers. In that context, $1,000 to incentivize voluntary departure could actually save billions. It’s a bargain.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates that illegal immigration costs US taxpayers approximately $150 billion annually, covering public services like education, healthcare, and law enforcement. With an estimated 20 million illegal aliens in the US, that translates to about $7,500 per person, per year.
But the economic cost goes further. Immigrant labor—including illegal—has long been used by employers to suppress wages for native-born workers. Harvard economist George Borjas estimates this dynamic results in a $500 billion annual transfer of wealth from workers to business owners. If 23% of immigrants are undocumented (Pew Research), then $115 billion of that wage loss can be attributed to illegal aliens.
That puts the total gross cost at $265 billion per year.
To be fair, illegal aliens do pay taxes. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) estimates they contribute roughly $97 billion annually in federal, state, and local taxes. That brings the net annual cost to about $168 billion, or $8,400 per illegal alien.
DHS puts the average cost of a formal removal at $17,121 per person. But under Trump’s voluntary departure plan—which includes a $1,000 incentive and travel assistance—DHS estimates the cost could drop to as low as $4,500 per person.
That means offering $1,000 to leave would save taxpayers approximately $7,400 per person annually. If even a fraction of the estimated 20 million illegal aliens accepted the offer, the resulting savings could reach tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars.
This would be a one-time cost, whereas the fiscal burden of continued illegal presence accumulates year after year. In that light, voluntary departure isn’t just practical—it’s fiscally responsible. It is also a break for illegal aliens. If they have to be rounded up and deported, they can’t come back in. But if they leave voluntarily, they can apply for a visa.
If you think Trump’s offer is unusual, know that it is not. Several European countries have implemented voluntary return programs that offer cash incentives or support packages to migrants (including undocumented individuals or failed asylum seekers) to encourage them to leave the country and return to their country of origin. France, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden are the four I know about.
Trump’s $1,000 offer fits into a broader international pattern. Many European countries have recognized that financial incentives can be a cheaper, quicker, and more politically feasible method for reducing unauthorized immigration. Trump recognizes this, too. He pays attention.
There’s nothing untoward about this plan—except that it is inconvenient for those who want to keep illegal aliens in America. If the plan works, those who are inconvenienced lose cheap labor, wages suppression, and census and election gaming. Who wins? The American worker!
freedom and reason 