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Here is a reprocessed, research-oriented compilation of the X discussions and underlying reports on budget spending related to undocumented migrants/illegal immigrants/asylum seekers.

I have converted relevant figures (daily rates, annual totals, or cumulative spends) into approximate cost per illegal/migrant per month where possible. Calculations use:

  • Daily rates × 30.4 (average days per month) for precision.
  • Annual figures ÷ 12.
  • Cumulative totals divided by estimated duration and/or number of people for average monthly rates (noted as such; these are not ongoing per-person rates but derived averages).

All figures specify jurisdiction/budget (e.g., city migrant shelter services, state education/healthcare, federal programs). Time periods/years are noted explicitly, as costs vary by year and surge timing (mostly post-spring 2022 under Biden administration policies).

I include source details for each: whether directly from government reports/budgets/hearings/City Hall data, news articles (with URLs where available from sources), think tanks analyzing government data, X posts (with descriptions), or combinations. Many X posts cited or shared images/charts from official releases. Figures often distinguish shelter/housing/food vs. broader (education, healthcare, law enforcement, welfare). “Per illegal” or “per migrant” typically means per person unless noted as household. Numbers can vary slightly by exact date, inclusions/exclusions, and methodology.

Data draws from X posts (2023–early 2025) and linked/related primary sources. This is not exhaustive of all possible reports but covers the main ones discussed in the searched posts.

New York City (NYC) — City of New York migrant services / shelter system budget (primarily housing, food, shelter operations; some reports separate or exclude education/medical)​

Time period: Spring 2022–2025 projections (surge arrivals post-2022; data from 2023–2024 hearings and releases).
Key per-month costs (from daily/annual rates in government data):

  • $11,796 per migrant household per month (derived from $388 per night/day per household for shelter + food; March 2024 City Council hearing).
  • $11,771 per migrant per month (derived from $387 per day per migrant; February 2024 City Hall data).
  • $11,667 per migrant/household per month (derived from ~$140,000 per year; aligns with multiple 2024 discussions).
  • One X post directly stated ~$12,000 per month per illegal household (~$140K/year).

Other figures and context:

  • ~65,000 migrants in care (March 2024); ~64,800 (Feb 2024); peaked higher earlier.
  • Cumulative spent since spring 2022: Just over $4 billion on housing/services (as of March 2024). With varying population over ~22 months, rough average cumulative cost per person in care is high but not a clean ongoing monthly rate.
  • 2025 migrant budget allocation: $4.05 billion. Shelter population referenced up to 120,700 (with 64,000+ new arrivals in care).
  • Additional 2024 breakdown (one X post): $1.47 billion on food/housing; $53 million on free debit cards; $1,400 per month SNAP per relevant recipient.
  • Projected total crisis cost through end FY2025: $10.6 billion (updated; prior forecast $12.25B). Excludes or notes separately medical/education in some figures. Daily rates peaked at $394 (Oct 2023). Traditional DHS rates lower ($145/single adult; $232/family).

Sources: Primarily NYC government data (City Hall releases, Mayor Eric Adams updates/statements, City Council testimony by Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park on March 11, 2024). Referenced in X posts (e.g., @TheChiefNerd Aug 16, 2024 quoting city numbers with chart: $306M since July 1 bringing total to ~$5.5B; @profstonge Mar 14, 2024 on $387/day × 65k; @ycinnewyork Mar 12, 2024 on $12K/month; @WallStreetApes Nov 18, 2024 on 2025 $4.05B budget and shelter numbers). News articles: New York Daily News (Mar 11, 2024 article on per-diem climbing, URL: https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/03/11/per-migrant-care-costs-in-nyc-climb-again-even-as-city-hall-pushes-to-reduce-costs/ — cites hearing and Adams Aug 2023 $383 rate); Legal Insurrection (Mar 14, 2024, URL: https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/03/new-york-city-spending-an-eye-popping-amount-on-illegal-immigrants-every-day/ — cites City Hall via Washington Examiner/NY Post, calculates ~$10,836/month). X posts often shared official city numbers or images.

Chicago (and Illinois state support) — City of Chicago migrant response/shelter budget (housing, food, rent support, services); Illinois state non-citizen/asylum seeker support​

Time period: 2022–2024/2025 (arrivals from Aug 2022; spending through mid-2024). ~37,000–51,648+ asylum seekers arrived (cumulative by late 2024; ~40k by early 2024). Shelter census varied (~11,200 in Mar 2024; lower later ~2,487 in Dec 2024).
Key per-month costs (limited direct rates; mostly totals converted):

  • $15,000 per person for rent support (one-time or program-specific; not explicitly monthly in source).
  • Rough derived from $361 million in 2023 spending: ~$9,025 per arrival cumulative (using ~40k arrivals); average monthly hard to pinpoint without exact stay duration but implies thousands per person over months in system.
  • $433.7 million spent by July 2024 on migrant care (significant portion to one vendor).

Other figures: $300 million on food/housing (one 2024 reference); additional $85M+ to vendor bringing totals higher; Illinois state: $820 million FY2023–2025 support for non-citizens ($478M asylum seekers + others). One X post noted Chicago costs per person/month exceeding some military pensions.

Sources: City government data and spending reports (e.g., City Council approvals, comptroller data). X posts: @WesleyHuntTX (Apr 5, 2024, listing breakdowns with video); @Williamjkelly (Aug 29, 2024, detailing $433.7M by July 2024 and Illinois $820M); @MAGAIncWarRoom (Aug 29, 2024, $361M last year). News/gov references in posts and related (e.g., Illinois Policy, city dashboards showing arrivals/shelter numbers). House Budget Committee document referenced $361M for Chicago in 2023.

Denver (Colorado) — City of Denver migrant response budget (shelter, food, services, facilities); plus regional education and healthcare​

Time period: Dec 2022–late 2024 (cumulative; ~45,000 migrants arrived). City spending through 2024 then reduced.
Key per-month costs (mostly cumulative converted to average):

  • ~$329 per migrant per month (derived average from $7,900 total per migrant cumulative spend ÷ ~24 months).
  • Education: $228 million annually for 16,197 new migrant students → ~$14,100 per student per year or ~$1,175 per student per month. Earlier range $98–222M total education to date.
  • Healthcare uncompensated/emergency: ~$48–50M (part of broader totals).

Other figures: Total taxpayer expenses (city + education + healthcare) $356 million (or earlier estimates $216–340M). City alone: ~$79 million through Nov 2024 (breakdown: 34.5% facilities/hotels, 29.4% personnel, etc.); projected $12.5M in 2025. Earlier mayor projection ~$180M annual. Represents ~8% of Denver’s $4.4B 2025 budget.

Sources: Common Sense Institute (think tank) reports analyzing city/government spending data (e.g., Updated Costs: Denver Migrants report, Nov 2024, URL: https://www.commonsenseinstituteus.org/colorado/research/housing-and-our-community/updated-costs-denver-migrants; earlier May 2024 report). X posts: Multiple Dec 2024 posts (e.g., @COpeakpolitics, others) citing the $356M / $7,900 per migrant and school figures. City data on arrivals and spending referenced.

Federal / National Level — Broader U.S. federal + state/local government programs (education, healthcare/Medicaid, law enforcement, welfare/benefits, accommodation for illegal immigrants and dependents; some focused on recent migrant crisis)​

Time period: Annual estimates (often 2023 data or post-2021 Biden-era surge); cumulative since 2021 in some.
Key per-month costs:

  • $731 per illegal alien or U.S.-born child of illegal aliens per month (derived from $8,776 annually; FAIR 2023 study).
  • Federal portion alone: ~$266 per illegal alien per month (derived from $3,187 annually).
  • Rough from $451B annual crisis estimate: Depends on population base (e.g., if tied to millions of recent entrants or broader 15M+ illegals); not directly per-person in primary but implies high thousands annually per affected person when divided.
  • Gross annual services/benefits: $182 billion (or ~$183B) offset by ~$31B taxes from 15.5M+ non-legal aliens → net ~$150.7–151B.

Other figures: $451 billion per year total for migrant crisis (education, healthcare, law enforcement, other from extra migrants). 3.8M migrants entered since 2021 (one estimate).

Sources: FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) 2023 study “The Cost of Illegal Immigration to American Taxpayers” (detailed breakdowns by federal/state/local; PDF available via fairus.org; per-person and taxpayer burden figures). House Homeland Security Committee study / Center for Immigration Studies estimate (via researcher Andrew Arthur). X posts: @angie_anson and @WKortepeter (Jan 2024) citing $451B Republican report with Daily Mail link (URL: https://www.dailymail.com/news/us-politics/article-12744497/Bidens-migrant-crisis-cost-taxpayers-451-BILLION-Republican-healthcare-accommodation-Mayorkas-impeachment.html); @gummibear737 (Aug 2024) referencing House report PDF and $180–450B range; multiple posts on FAIR $150.7B net / $182B gross with 15.5M+ illegals + 5.4M children.

California — State and local government budgets (education, healthcare, law enforcement, criminal justice, welfare, other expenditures for illegal immigration)​

Time period: 2022–2023 data (annual costs).
Key per-month costs:

  • $589.50 per immigrant per month (derived from $7,074 taxpayer cost per immigrant in 2023).
  • Total annual: ~$22.8 billion (or up to $30.93B including children).

Sources: Analyses cited in X posts (likely based on FAIR-style or state data breakdowns). Post by @nettermike (Dec 29, 2023) directly comparing to Texas.

Texas — State and local government budgets (education, healthcare, law enforcement, etc., for illegal immigration)​

Time period: 2022 data (annual).
Key per-month costs:

  • $372.17 per immigrant per month (derived from $4,466 taxpayer cost per immigrant).
  • Total annual: $9.9 billion.

Sources: Same as California comparison in X post by @nettermike (Dec 29, 2023).

Other Jurisdictions (Limited Details)​

  • Washington D.C.: ~$36M or $55.8M in 2023 on migrant crisis (various services). No clear per-person monthly in posts.
  • Massachusetts: ~$45 million monthly for shelters (one reference).
    Sources: Aggregated in X posts comparing sanctuary cities (e.g., @WesleyHuntTX).

These represent the core reports and discussions from the X searches. Many X users framed them as government statistics or budgets (city hall releases, hearings, state/federal reports) or cited news/think tanks breaking them down. Costs are often net or gross fiscal burdens and can include U.S.-born children of undocumented individuals in broader studies like FAIR. For your research article, cross-reference primary PDFs (e.g., FAIR report, Common Sense Institute, House documents) as secondary reporting (news/X) sometimes rounds or contextualizes. Figures evolved with arrival volumes and policy responses through 2024–2025. Let me know if you need deeper dives on specific ones or additional searches.

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