A new calculator tool is putting a very specific price tag on President Trump‘s mass deportation push, and it’s giving Americans a clearer picture of exactly what they’re paying for it. According to a new tool from the Economic Policy Institute, the average American taxpayer would end up paying about $2,358 to cover the cost of Trump’s deportation efforts, Axios reports.
This figure is stirring up a bigger debate. With billions of federal dollars going toward deportations, the question becomes whether that same money could be put toward other things people actually need, like food assistance, health care, or housing.
What Else That Money Could Pay For
The numbers behind this are based on data from the National Priorities Project. EPI estimates that the $268.9 billion projected for deportations could instead cover SNAP benefits for more than 118 million additional people over the remaining two and a half years of Trump’s administration.
That same amount of money could also be used differently. It could provide Medicaid coverage to nearly 12 million more people, or it could give more than 9.7 million households access to low cost public housing.
Gordon Lafer, a professor at the University of Oregon’s Labor Education and Research Center and a research associate at EPI, told Axios that most people don’t grasp just how much money is going toward these deportation efforts.
He pointed out that across the country, there are plenty of people struggling to afford food, find housing, or get health insurance, and kids dealing with overcrowded classrooms. Those, he said, are the things that actually matter most in people’s daily lives.
Lafer added that instead of addressing those needs, the country is spending a massive amount of money tracking down, detaining, and deporting people, many of whom don’t even have criminal records. He said that money is desperately needed elsewhere in nearly every community nationwide.
How Costs Differ By Location
Not everyone pays the same amount. EPI calculated each area’s contribution based on its share of federal income taxes, meaning places that pay more in federal taxes end up shouldering a bigger portion of the deportation costs, Axios reports.
In Washington, D.C., for instance, taxpayers could end up paying $3,930 each. That amount alone could fund SNAP benefits for 455,000 more people, provide public housing help for 21,000 households, or cover Medicaid for 30,000 people.
Connecticut offers another example. Despite being a smaller state, taxpayers there could pay around $3,395 per person. That money could instead support SNAP benefits for 1.9 million residents, housing assistance for about 181,000 households, or Medicaid coverage for 186,000 people, according to the analysis.
Lower Cost States
On the other end, states that contribute less in federal income taxes see a smaller price tag. West Virginia is a good example, where taxpayers could pay about $1,297 each.
That amount could still make a difference elsewhere. It could fund SNAP benefits for 328,000 people, housing assistance for 46,000 households, or Medicaid coverage for 31,000 people.
Where The Money Is Coming From
The $268.9 billion the administration plans to spend on deportations throughout Trump’s second term comes from several sources. That includes funding tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, various budget reconciliation bills, regular appropriations, and other funds that have been repurposed.