The Consequences of Unchecked Illegal Immigration on America’s Public Schools - Factsheet No. 263 - February 28, 2024

Oct 15, 2026

Factsheet No. 263, February 28, 2024, examines how unchecked illegal immigration affects America’s public schools. It reports record-level illegal-alien encounters under President Joe Biden in FY2023, while noting no reliable totals for enrollment of children brought in illegally. Using CBP, ORR, and per-pupil spending data from states including California, New York, Texas, and Arizona, it estimates sizable incremental education costs and highlights pressures on school resources, classroom management, and limited English proficiency.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

The Issue

Background

Understanding the Impact

Policy Recommendations

FACTSHEET No. 263 | February 28, 2024 The Consequences of Unchecked Illegal Immigration on America’s Public Schools THE ISSUE Under President Joe Biden in fiscal year (FY) 2023, the United States had the highest number of illegal-alien encounters in its history, with more than 3 million individuals entering the country illegally. There are currently no reliable counts of total enrollment in public schools of children who were brought to the U.S. illegally. BACKGROUND Since Joe Biden became President in 2021, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has encountered more than 470,000 unaccompanied alien children. (This analysis only considers the unaccompanied alien children released to sponsors in FY 2023, and as such, isan undercount as it does not include those who entered the country with a family unit.) The CBP transfers unaccompanied children to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a government agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is charged with providing social services until children are placed with a sponsor. The U.S. Supreme Court held in Plyler v. Doe (1982) that public school districts must enroll minors, regardless of their immigration status. Four examples from FY 2023: 1. In California, 11,121 unaccompanied alien children were sent to sponsors, according to ORR data. Although the exact number of unaccompanied children who attended public schools is unknown, at $16,975 per pupil spent by California schools (combined federal, state, and local spending), that equates to an additional cost of about $189 million for one year if all those children enrolled in school. 2. In New York, 8,477 unaccompanied alien children were sent to sponsors, according to ORR data. New York spends $28,261 per pupil, making the total additional cost to taxpayers close to $240 million for one year. 3. In Texas, the ORR released 16,394 unaccompanied alien children to sponsors. At $13,900 per pupil, per year, those additional students cumulatively cost nearly an additional $228 million for one year. 4. In Arizona, 861 unaccompanied alien children were released to sponsors, according to ORR data. Arizona spends $11,625 per pupil annually, leading to an additional cost of more than $10 million to Arizona taxpayers for one year. In just these four states in one fiscal year, absorbing this influx of migrant children into public schools may have cost taxpayers almost three-quarters of a billion dollars.(Author calculations. Estimates of education spending: $188,778,975 for California; $239,568,497 for New York; $227,876,600 for Texas; and $10,009,125 for Arizona—for a total of $666,233,197.) Nationwide, the CBP encountered 145,474 accompanied and unaccompanied minors in FY 2023. Based on the national average spending of $16,345 per student, if each This paper, in its entirety, can be found at [https://report.heritage.org/fs263](https://report.heritage.org/fs263) The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts avenue, Ne | Washington, DC 20002 | (202) [546-4400 | heritage.org](546-4400 | heritage.org)[ ](546-4400 | heritage.org)Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress. such child enrolled in public school in FY 2023, it would increase national education spending by more than $2 billion for one year. UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT In addition to the significant financial burden imposed on state and local governments to educate migrant children, there are also concerns of misuse of school property, classroom management, and English proficiency. Each of these affect learning and academic performance. Misuse of School Property. The surge in illegal immigration has led to the improper use of school facilities. In New York, for instance, students were sent home from school and were compelled to switch to online learning to allow migran

FAQs

What is the main concern addressed by this factsheet?

The document focuses on the adverse effects of unchecked illegal immigration on America’s public schools, including financial burdens and operational challenges.

How does the factsheet estimate additional education costs?

It uses CBP/ORR counts of unaccompanied alien children released to sponsors in FY2023 and combines them with state per-pupil spending to compute estimated incremental costs.

What policy recommendations does the document make?

It recommends actions by federal and state governments, including securing the border, improving enrollment data collection by immigration status, and limiting the use of public schools to accommodate illegal aliens.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sophia Brooks