In the wake of recent anti-ICE riots, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have criticized President Trump for the financial burden of deploying troops to their jurisdiction.
The cost of this military intervention, they argue, is significantly less than the expense taxpayers bear to support illegal immigrants in the state.
Mayor Bass expressed her disapproval on social media, stating, "Just an absolutely shameful use of taxpayer dollars that could be used to actually HELP people. Despicable." Governor Newsom echoed this sentiment, lamenting the "$134 million that should be going to LAs fire recovery. Shameful."
However, according to Fox News, many social media users responded to these posts by highlighting the billions of dollars that illegal immigrants cost California taxpayers.
Among these respondents was White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Stephen Miller, who retorted, "Wait till you find out how many trillions we have to spend on illegal aliens." Campaign strategist Andrew Clark also weighed in, challenging Governor Newsom with, "Now do the $9 billion you drained out of our state treasury to fund your free healthcare for illegals immigrants scheme."
Conservative activist and filmmaker Robby Starbuck added, "How many billions have you spent on illegals Gavin? Its well into the hundreds of billions. THAT money should have gone to your citizens and fire recovery but you gave it to illegals."
Recent studies reviewed by Fox News Digital reveal that California's expenditure on illegal immigrants each year far exceeds the $134 million cost of deploying federal troops to quell the riots. A cost analysis by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), cited by the House Budget Committee in a 2023 press release, found that "benefits and services provided to illegal aliens in California alone in 2022" amounted to over $22 billion. In a more recent analysis, FAIR estimated that services for illegal immigrants cost California taxpayers $31 billion annually.
Moreover, a 2019 FAIR study found that the incarceration costs of illegal immigrants, including court proceedings and jail housing, cost California over $2 billion per year. Earlier this year, Governor Newsom requested an additional $2.8 billion loan to address a bloated deficit in the state's Medicaid program, largely due to coverage for illegal immigrants.
In 2020, California became the first state to expand Medi-Cal to cover all low-income adults aged 26 through 49, regardless of immigration status. Approximately 1.6 million illegal immigrants are enrolled in the state's healthcare program, according to state data, alongside 15 million California residents.
A recent study by Wallethub, which compared state and local tax collections with the quality of services received in education, health, safety, the economy, and infrastructure and pollution, found that California ranks nearly last in the country in terms of return on investment for taxpayers. The Golden State ranks 47th in taxpayer efficiency in the United States.
In response to the criticism from California Democrats, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the deployment of federal troops. She argued that the cost of the riots, already estimated in the millions as of Thursday, could inflict significant damage on taxpayers if not quickly quelled.
"Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass are conveniently ignoring the high price of mass looting, rioters destroying LAs family businesses, public property, and setting cars and other property on fire," McLaughlin said. "President Trump will not stand by while these lawless rioters loot and destroy a great American city. Newsom and Bass should be thanking President Trump for providing additional support to restore law and order and stop the destruction of LA."
Newsom Communications Director Izzy Gardon countered this argument, stating, "Theres zero return for taxpayers when Trump blows $140 million of YOUR dollars to pull troops off the border and away from wildfire prep just so they can sit idle in L.A. while he cosplays as a dictator and chases Fox News headlines. This isnt public safety its a political stunt and a disgrace."
Mayor Bass, in a comment made on MSNBC, emphasized the importance of immigrants to the local economy. "We are a city of immigrants," Bass said. "We have entire industries that wouldn't even be able to function without immigrant labor. So this is terrible to families, but it also is a very powerful blow to the local economy if this is going to continue."
Late on Thursday, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order directing President Donald Trump to return control of the National Guard to California, citing the deployment as illegal and a violation of the Tenth Amendment and Trumps statutory authority. However, the Trump administration appealed this decision, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the federal judges order. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for June 17.
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