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A new report says the border wall proposed by President Donald Trump, estimated by some to cost $12 billion to $15 billion to construct, would pay for itself if it stopped 9 to 12 percent of those expected to cross the U.S.-Mexican border in the next decade.

Written by Steven A. Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, the report titled “The Cost of a Border Wall vs. the Cost of Illegal Immigration” says the wall at the southern border could save taxpayers nearly $64 billion — several times its cost.

Camarota notes the analysis applies fiscal estimates developed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine for “the future fiscal balance immigrants create — taxes paid minus costs.”

He writes that “illegal border-crossers” create an average fiscal burden of about $74,722 during their lifetimes, excluding costs for their U.S.-born children, based on the NAS data. With offspring figured in, the fiscal drain increases nearly $20,000.

“If a border wall stopped between 160,000 and 200,000 illegal crossers — 9 to 12 percent of those expected to successfully cross in the next decade — the fiscal savings would equal the $12 to $15 billion cost of the wall,” Camarota writes.

One of the “important caveats” about the estimates in the report is that a large share of the net fiscal cost of illegal immigrants is at the state and local level, not the federal level. The costs of building the wall will be borne by the federal government, Camarota notes.

The $12 billion to $15 billion estimate for border wall construction was provided by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in January, but Reuters reported earlier this month on a Homeland Security report that estimated the wall could cost more than $20 billion.

The Center for Immigration Studies is a think tank that advocates for tighter controls on immigration.

Steven A. Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, penned a report claiming that the U.S.-Mexican border wall proposed by Trump could save taxpayers more than $64 billion over 10 years.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_Camarota_Steven-1.jpg.optimal.jpgSteven A. Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, penned a report claiming that the U.S.-Mexican border wall proposed by Trump could save taxpayers more than $64 billion over 10 years. Cliff Owen | AP file photo

Steven A. Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, penned a report claiming that the U.S.-Mexican border wall proposed by Trump could save taxpayers more than $64 billion over 10 years.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_Camarota_Steven-cmyk.jpg.optimal.jpgSteven A. Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, penned a report claiming that the U.S.-Mexican border wall proposed by Trump could save taxpayers more than $64 billion over 10 years. Cliff Owen | AP file photo

By Steve Mocarsky

[email protected]

ON THE WEB

Read the report at http://tlgets.me/keb.

Reach Steve Mocarsky at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @TLSteveMocarsky.