New Study Spells Out Illegal Immigrants' Cost To Colorado

DENVER -- A new study spells out some of the costs of illegal immigration here in Colorado.

The report was put out Tuesday by a group that wants to put a measure limiting state services to illegal immigrants on the November ballot....

The group's data claims that Colorado taxpayers spent $64 million a year on Medicaid for illegal immigrants, $61 million a year to take care of them in prison, and $899 million a year to educate their children, with the total cost adding up to $1 billion.

"That's $1 billion out of the pockets of Colorado taxpayers this year because of the failure of the federal government to enforce secure borders," said Andews...

The study also shows that illegal immigrants in Colorado cost the country $2 billion in lost or lower wages. Defend Colorado Now said its initative, if it passes in November, would encourage illegal immigrants to go elsewhere, and that would lower the state's overall cost....

Read the immigration cost overview and the complete Defend Colorado study "A Compendium of Illegal Immigration Data".