{"id":2530727,"date":"2026-01-06T19:45:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T00:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illegal-immigrants-cost-il-taxpayers-more-than-enforcement-state-rep\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T19:48:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T00:48:46","slug":"illegal-immigrants-cost-il-taxpayers-more-than-enforcement-state-rep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illegal-immigrants-cost-il-taxpayers-more-than-enforcement-state-rep\/","title":{"rendered":"Illegal immigrants cost IL taxpayers more than enforcement: State Rep."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fillegal-immigrants-cost-il-taxpayers-more-than-enforcement-state-rep%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2530727&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>An illinois Republican state representative says the fiscal and human costs of illegal immigration in the state far exceed a recent back-of-the-envelope estimate of $59 million for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnn-says-trump-approval-rating-surging-like-a-rocket-on-immigration-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"CNN says Trump approval rating surging \u2018like a rocket\u2019 on immigration ... Washington Examiner\">federal enforcement operations<\/a> (ICE and border Patrol) tied to Operation Midway Blitz. Representative Brad Halbrook pointed to state spending on immigrant programs &#8211; $330 million in FY2025 for Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (now ended) and $140 million budgeted for Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors &#8211; and cited an audit showing $1.6 billion in related costs over three years. The Chicago Tribune reported enforcement raids in communities and noted human impacts; Halbrook emphasized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">lives lost<\/a> and long-term harm to families. Illinois Attorney General Kwame raoul criticized the Trump management&#8217;s planned Guard deployment around immigration enforcement as an unacceptable use of military forces; the Tribune estimated the canceled deployment would have cost about $19 million. Halbrook argued that many of these expenses and the need for the Guard would be greatly reduced without the unauthorized population.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Illegal immigrants cost IL taxpayers more than enforcement: State Rep.<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2464206\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; An <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/illinois\/\">Illinois<\/a> Statehouse <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican\/\">Republican<\/a> says the cost of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/illegal-immigrants\/\">illegal immigration<\/a> in Illinois is much more than a recently reported estimate of the cost of Operation Midway Blitz.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Chicago Tribune&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/01\/04\/operation-midway-blitz-cost\/\">reports<\/a>&nbsp;a &ldquo;back-of-the-envelope&rdquo; estimated cost of $59 million and growing for the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >federal immigration enforcement operations<\/a> through the last few months of 2025 in Illinois. The Tribune&rsquo;s estimates included nearly $34 million for ICE and nearly $6 million for Border Patrol.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4408050\/ice-arrests-over-10000-illegal-immigrants-florida-largest-joint-operation-history-desantis\/\">ICE arrests over 10,000 illegal immigrants in Florida in largest joint operation in history: DeSantis<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4407482\/trump-2000-ice-officers-minneapolis-fraud\/\">Trump to deploy 2,000 ICE officers to Minneapolis as fraud investigation widens<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4407185\/hilton-ice-officer-hotel-reservations-canceled\/\">DHS says Hilton intentionally canceled ICE officer hotel reservations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said that&rsquo;s a fraction of the overall cost.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The cost of the illegal immigration, illegal aliens, to the taxpayers of the state of Illinois over the last three, four years has surpassed hundreds of millions, and it&rsquo;s in the billions of dollars,&rdquo; Halbrook told The Center Square.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In fiscal year 2025, Illinois taxpayers spent $330 million for the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program. That program has now ended. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors, covering non-citizens 65 and up, is budgeted for at $140 million for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/most-of-bidens-1-9-trillion-coronavirus-relief-bill-has-nothing-to-do-with-public-health\/\" title=\"Most Of Biden\u2019s .9 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill Has Nothing To Do With Public Health\">current fiscal year<\/a>. A recent&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/illinois\/article_f78484ec-f481-11ef-b966-a75caae84fa5.html\">audit<\/a>&nbsp;of the program showed taxpayers&rsquo; costs ballooned beyond estimates and total $1.6 billion over three years.<\/p>\n<p>The Chicago Tribune also reported on the human toll of immigration enforcement, citing raids on Halloween, at hardware store parking lots, and inside ethnic communities. Halbrook said that doesn&rsquo;t take into account the lives lost at the hands of illegal immigrants.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure why they&rsquo;re not talking about that human cost, because that&rsquo;s real,&rdquo; Halbrook said. &ldquo;Those families will never recover from those things.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at a Democrat-run hearing about the 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said he&rsquo;s going after the Trump administration for deploying the Guard around immigration enforcement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly for the reason that their city or state leadership has fallen, fallen out of the president&rsquo;s favor,&rdquo; Raoul said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Chicago Tribune estimates the Guard deployment that never happened because of court action cost taxpayers $19 million.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Halbrook said the taxpayer spending on non-citizen subsidies from the state and the Guard isn&rsquo;t necessary.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4408050\/ice-arrests-over-10000-illegal-immigrants-florida-largest-joint-operation-history-desantis\/\">ICE ARRESTS OVER 10,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN FLORIDA IN LARGEST JOINT OPERATION IN HISTORY: DESANTIS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So I think if we didn&rsquo;t have this population of people here, neither one of these costs would be here, or they would be dramatically less,&rdquo; Halbrook said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration canceled the Guard deployment, but initially said it was to help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-senator-demanding-fani-willis-investigation-suspended-by-republicans\/\" title=\"Republican Party suspends Georgia Senator demanding Fani Willis investigation.\">protect federal officers<\/a> and property from violent protests against immigration enforcement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IL illegal-immigrant costs dwarf enforcement<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2530728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25276593170437.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[6413,49347,38835,39025,40356],"class_list":["post-2530727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-illinois","tag-immigration-enforcement","tag-public-policy","tag-taxpayer-costs","tag-undocumented-immigrants"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25276593170437.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2530727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2530727"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2530727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2530731,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2530727\/revisions\/2530731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2530728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2530727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2530727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2530727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}