American cities spending billions taking care of migrants who entered country illegally

WASHINGTON (TND) — The migrant crisis is racking up a hefty price tag for state and local governments, as they work to care for the massive influx of newcomers.

“You’re talking about maybe $80 billion in educational costs, maybe $25 billion in healthcare costs,” said estimated Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

Northern cities like Chicago and New York are struggling to care for the migrants sent to them courtesy of Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his effort to draw national attention to the border problem.

New York City recently announced a $53 million pilot program giving out prepaid debit cards to migrant families. The measure is expected to save the city money in the long run.

There’s no free money these are not ATM cards, you can’t take cash out. If anyone has the idea they are wrong, this is for food and baby supplies only," explained New York City Deputy-Mayor Fabien Levy.

New York's Governor Kathy Hochul asked state lawmakers to authorize $2.4 billion for migrants on top of the $1.9 billion already spent.

NYC projects they will spend $10.5 billion on migrants by the summer of 2025.

Massachusetts is spending $75 million each month on state-run migrant shelters. Denver is expected to save $60 million as they close four migrant shelters.

“You cannot have open borders and a welfare state. It simply doesn’t compute. There’s just not enough money,” explained Hankinson.

In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson is refusing to admit how much his city is paying to operate its 27 migrant shelters. One report places the cost of operating just three of these shelters at nearly one million dollars each week.

Many residents have had enough and want to send a message to their leaders.

If we do not get issues resolved people will not be voting how they used to before," said one Chicago resident at a recent city council meeting.

Leaders like New York City Mayor Eric Adams continue requesting additional federal assistance as pressure mounts for President Biden to show he’s the candidate to address the border crisis.