TRENTON, N.J. — Illegal immigration is costing New Jersey taxpayers an estimated $8.2 billion per year, according to a new report released Monday by Assemblyman Paul Kanitra (R-Ocean).
Kanitra’s 39-page Report on the Cost of Illegal Aliens to New Jerseyans: 2026 Edition estimates approximately 737,000 illegal aliens currently reside in the Garden State. The resulting state and local fiscal burden works out to more than $1,700 per New Jersey worker or $2,300 per household annually, according to the report.
The analysis updates Kanitra’s original 2024 report with newer federal and state data, budget figures, academic research and information obtained from New Jersey agencies.
By far the largest estimated expense is public education.
Kanitra calculates that educating illegal-alien minors and U.S.-born children of illegal aliens costs approximately $7.14 billion annually, representing roughly 87% of the report’s total estimated fiscal impact. The analysis estimates approximately 41,000 illegal-alien minors are enrolled in New Jersey public schools and notes that its education calculation excludes additional expenses for English-language instruction, translators and other specialized services.
Other estimated costs include $515 million for public safety and essential services such as police, corrections, fire protection, sewerage and waste management, along with $243 million in general government administrative costs. Those figures are population-based allocations rather than identifiable program expenditures, the report acknowledges.
Kanitra also identifies approximately $26.1 million in 2026 taxpayer funding for legal services for aliens facing deportation, including the state’s Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative and related programs. State-funded food-security programs benefiting illegal-alien households are estimated at another $14.6 million.
The report separately argues illegal immigration is increasing New Jersey’s already-punishing housing costs. Applying recent Federal Reserve research, Kanitra estimates the impact could amount to $4,770 to $28,370 on the price of a typical home and $24 to $79 per month in additional rent, though those figures are not included in the $8.2 billion fiscal estimate.
The report also does not calculate a net fiscal impact by subtracting taxes paid by illegal immigrants. It cites a separate estimate of $1.33 billion in state and local taxes paid in 2022, while arguing those revenues remain substantially below the expenditures identified in Kanitra’s analysis.
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