Payments to Families Separated at the Border Will Not Save Taxpayers Money

In justifying its willingness to dole out large cash payments to families separated at the border to settle lawsuits, the White House has insisted that doing so will save the government money.

First, some background: Over the years, unelected bureaucrats and activist judges have weakened America's immigration enforcement system, incentivizing illegal immigration and immigration fraud.

Once DHS began detaining families, far fewer attempted to cross the border - apprehensions declined.

From fiscal years 2014 through 2018, the "True" immigration court in absentia rates for family unit aliens encountered at the southwest border was an astounding 66 percent.

In any case, in 2018, the Trump administration, hands tied by the Ninth Circuit, implemented "Zero tolerance": instead of releasing migrant families with a notice to appear, it began prosecuting virtually all adults for illegal entry.

By his reading, most inadmissible aliens who cross the border as part of a bona fide family unit must be released into the interior of the U.S. - no charges, no jail.

Note that many of the families separated at the border will receive valuable benefits beyond cash.

https://spectator.org/payments-to-families-separated-at-the-border-will-not-save-taxpayers-money/