Jim Townsend, New Mexico State Senate District 34 Senator, said that illegal immigration costs approximately $500 annually for every American man, woman, and child, amounting to $2,500 per family each year. He made this statement on the social media platform X on January 10.
"That's about $500 for every American, man, woman and child in America every year compounded by increased benefits and costs each year," said Townsend, State Senator. "$2500 per family per year."
According to Townsend's post on X, which referenced a post from the Republican Party of New Mexico, the overall cost of illegal immigration in 2023 was $150.7 billion, borne by taxpayers. This figure includes expenses related to emergency medical care, welfare programs, and the incarceration of illegal immigrants. The post served as a rebuttal to a statement made by Senator Martin Heinrich.
Screenshot of State Senator Jim Townsend's Jan. 10 post on X
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These posts were prompted by a report from the Joint Economic Committee Democrats. The report estimated that the immigration plan proposed by then-President-elect Donald Trump could potentially reduce the country's gross domestic product by up to 7.4% and result in the loss of over 40,000 U.S.-born jobs for every 500,000 immigrants removed from the labor force. It also noted that since 2003, illegal aliens constituted between 4.4% and 5.4% of the U.S. workforce, predominantly employed in sectors such as construction, agriculture, healthcare, and hospitality. The report further indicated that mass deportations could remove significant numbers of workers from these industries.
In September 2024, Border Report indicated that illegal immigration in New Mexico had increased by 22% during that year. According to their September 24 report, migrant encounters rose from 9,078 in July to 11,016 in August—a rise of 1,938 individuals within one month. The report also highlighted that migrants crossing the border wall in New Mexico are often apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents; however, some manage to evade capture and are subsequently picked up by contractors or taken to stash houses; tragically others may perish in the desert.
James G. Townsend is a Republican politician hailing from Eddy County who previously served as Minority Leader in the New Mexico House of Representatives before being elected as Senator for District 34 in 2024. Townsend is known for his focus on energy policy and rural development while consistently advocating for his constituents' interests within the energy sector.
