Stephen Miller, a Homeland Security adviser, asserted on Monday that "people who don't belong here" are primarily responsible for the United States' escalating national debt. His comments came during an executive order signing aimed at addressing alleged fraud within federal programs, where he linked the debt to undocumented immigrants receiving Medicaid benefits and emergency hospital care.
Miller's Allegations and Anecdotal Evidence
Miller stated, "What we found since President Trump came into office is that the Democrats have set up the system to funnel hundreds of billions, and ultimately trillions of dollars, to migrants." He cited an anecdote where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents asked detained migrants about Medicaid enrollment, claiming half raised their hands. He added that others in the group sought free hospital care billed to taxpayers.
"I believe, and I know President Trump believes, that when this theft is exposed, we will see that if all of it were stopped, it would be enough to balance the budget," Miller said. "The extraction of wealth from American taxpayers to people who don't belong here is the primary cause of the national debt."
Expert Analysis and Contradictory Studies
Miller, often credited with shaping President Donald Trump's immigration policy, provided no substantial evidence beyond his anecdote. In contrast, a study by the libertarian Cato Institute analyzed data from 1994 to 2023 and found that immigrants, both legal and undocumented, consistently paid more in taxes than they received in benefits annually.
The research indicated that if the government had collected all immigrant tax income without spending on them, it would have incurred a $20 trillion deficit over that period. The study concluded, "immigrants are not to blame for government deficits. Indeed, they reduced the deficit by about $14.5 trillion."
Legal and Factual Context
Under federal law, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for benefits like SNAP, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, despite contributing to these programs through taxes. Additionally, Medicare-participating hospitals are required to provide emergency care regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.
An analysis by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation highlighted that the national debt's rise over the past 25 years is largely due to an aging population receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits, along with interest payments on the debt itself. The U.S. Treasury Department has noted other significant debt increases during events such as the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, the 2008 Great Recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
This context underscores the complexity of national debt drivers, challenging Miller's simplified attribution to undocumented immigrants.
