WE Blog

“Before we decide on fiscal policies that affect our economy, shouldn’t we have some idea on what we are doing and what the outcomes might be if we make those changes?” said state Rep. Nile Dillmore, D-Wichita. Absolutely. That’s why Dillmore was smart to insert a provision in the state budget requiring an audit of the cost of illegal immigration in Kansas. The audit, which is expected to be completed during the next legislative session, will try to determine the costs to the state of Kansas for benefits and ervices provided to illegal immigrants, the estimated tax revenues from illegal immigrants, and whether the taxes they pay offset the costs of benefits provided. Though there is a lot of rhetoric about how much illegal immigrants cost taxpayers, it may be that the taxes they pay and the economic impact they make exceed the social costs, and that punitive laws might harm the state’s economy. A study by the Oklahoma Bankers Association determined that an anti-illegal immigration law in that state will cause $1.8 billion in economic losses.