Sources

Master list of sources for the undocumented-immigrant spending write-up. Labeled by source type: Official (government), Reporting (news), Advocacy (think tank / interest group with a stated policy position).

New York City

• Official — NYC Comptroller, Fiscal Impacts (asylum-seeker services): https://comptroller.nyc.gov/services/for-the-public/accounting-for-asylum-seeker-services/fiscal-impacts/
• Official — NYC Comptroller, "Comparing Per Diem Hotel and Service Costs for Shelter for Asylum Seekers" (July 2024): https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/comparing-per-diem-hotel-and-service-costs-for-shelter-for-asylum-seekers/
• Official (PDF) — same report: https://comptroller.nyc.gov/wp-content/uploads/documents/Comparing-Per-Diem-Hotel-and-Service-Costs-for-Shelter-for-Asylum-Seekers-0724.pdf
• Official — NYC Comptroller, "Funding for NYC's Services for People Seeking Asylum" (Dec 2023, PDF): https://comptroller.nyc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Funding-for-New-York-Citys-Services-for-People-Seeking-Asylum.pdf
• Official — NYC Mayor's Office, "$12 billion over three fiscal years" projection: http://nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/583-23/as-city-nears-arrival-100-000-asylum-seekers-since-last-spring-mayor-adams-lays-out-updated
• Reporting — amNY, "NYC on track to spend over $12 billion": https://www.amny.com/housing/migrant-crisis/nyc-12-billion-migrant-comptroller/
• Reporting — CBS New York, "cost to care for asylum seekers has ballooned to $12 billion": https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/more-buses-of-asylum-seekers-expected-to-arrive-in-nyc-as-tensions-flare-over-where-to-house-them/
• Reporting — NBC New York, Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter conversion ($220M contract): https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/migrant-crisis/nyc-converting-historic-roosevelt-hotel-to-emergency-migrant-shelter/4332405/
• Reporting — City Journal, Roosevelt Hotel / migrant crisis: https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-city-migrant-crisis-roosevelt-hotel

NYC prepaid debit card program

• Reporting — Fox News, $53M prepaid debit card pilot: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-city-begins-giving-illegal-immigrants-prepaid-debit-cards-part-53-million-pilot-program
• Reporting — CBS New York, Councilmember Gale Brewer investigation call: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nyc-pre-paid-debit-cards-for-migrants-investigation/
• Reporting — Fox 5 NY, "$13 a day" breakdown: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/migrants-pre-paid-credit-card-explained
• Official (PDF) — Congressional letter to Mayor Adams on the debit-card pilot (Apr 10, 2024): https://gooden.house.gov/_cache/files/0/0/0014a065-3842-4450-9872-b57db76b4051/EACBDB4D3588E81A5A3AD24FAF4F6070.4.10.24---letter-to-mayor-adams-on-nyc-migrant-debit-card-pilot-program.pdf
• Reporting — Fox Business, no-bid migrant-services contracts audit: https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/nyc-taxpayers-fleeced-millions-contracts-migrant-services-audit

New York State

• Official — NYS Comptroller, Asylum Seeker Spending Report: https://www.osc.ny.gov/reports/asylum-seeker-spending-report
• Reporting — Gothamist, Hochul FY2025 budget $2.4B for migrants: https://gothamist.com/news/gov-hochul-unveils-2024-budget-with-24b-for-migrant-spending
• Reporting — WCAX, Hochul $2.4B migrant proposal: https://www.wcax.com/2024/01/16/budget-address-gov-kathy-hochul/
• Reporting — NY1, $233B budget proposal / migrants: https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2024/01/16/hochul-expected-to-reveal--233-billion-budget-proposal
• Fact-check — PolitiFact, state "flexible" migrant funding for NYC: https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/may/30/state-taxpayers-offer-flexible-funding-for-migrant/

Massachusetts

• Reporting — Boston Globe, EA shelter cost surpasses $1 billion: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/07/30/metro/migrant-crisis-healey-shelter-cost-1-billion/
• Reporting — Boston Globe, "How Massachusetts spent nearly $1 billion": https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/19/metro/cost-of-migrant-shelter-in-massachusetts/
• Advocacy — Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, weekly cost $3,389/family: https://www.massfiscal.org/latest_state_report_shows_weekly_cost_of_emergency_family_shelter_rises_to_3_389_per_family
• Reporting — Fox News, shelter costs to top $1B in FY25: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/migrant-influx-pushing-mass-shelter-costs-past-1b-fy25-report
• Reporting — WWLP, $45M/month on migrant families: https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/massachusetts-spending-45m-per-month-to-assist-migrant-families/
• Reporting — WBUR, Healey shelter spending within budget: https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/11/06/healey-shelter-spending-massachusetts-homeless
• Reporting — Axios Boston, federal funds for shelter costs: https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/04/22/massachusetts-migrants-shelter-costs

Illinois & Chicago

• Official — Illinois Comptroller, Asylum Seekers Transparency Portal: https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/financial-reports-data/data-sets-portals/chartsgraphs/asylum-seekers
• Reporting — WTTW, Chicago paid $138M in 2023: https://news.wttw.com/2024/01/04/chicago-paid-least-138m-care-migrants-2023-far-less-projections-data
• Reporting — WTTW, Chicago expects under $141M in 2024: https://news.wttw.com/2024/09/24/chicago-expects-spend-less-141m-care-migrants-2024-officials
• Reporting — WTTW, City Council $70M more for migrants: https://news.wttw.com/2024/04/19/city-council-votes-30-18-spend-70m-more-care-migrants-chicago
• Reporting — FOX 32 Chicago, Illinois projected $2.5B by end 2025: https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-migrants-spending
• Advocacy — Illinois Policy Institute, "spends billions": https://www.illinoispolicy.org/think-illinois-spends-millions-on-migrants-wrong-it-spends-billions/
• Advocacy — Illinois Policy Institute, spending nears $300M as evictions begin: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-spending-on-migrants-reaches-nearly-300m-as-evictions-begin/
• Advocacy — Wirepoints, "welcoming" programs +$2.2B: https://wirepoints.org/welcoming-programs-increase-the-cost-of-illegal-immigration-in-illinois-by-at-least-2-2-billion-wirepoints/

Denver

• Advocacy — Common Sense Institute, "Updated Costs: Denver Migrants": https://www.commonsenseinstituteus.org/colorado/research/housing-and-our-community/updated-costs-denver-migrants
• Advocacy — Common Sense Institute, "The Ongoing Cost of Denver Migrants": https://www.commonsenseinstituteus.org/colorado/research/housing-and-our-community/the-ongoing-cost-of-denver-migrants
• Reporting — Denver Gazette, $356M cost study: https://denvergazette.com/news/immigration/denver-cost-of-immigration/article_1ae619d6-acfd-11ef-adb4-935b212700f2.html
• Reporting — 9News, city agencies call CSI numbers inflated: https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/next-with-kyle-clark/conservative-think-tank-denver-spent-356m-migrant-aid-city-agencies-say-numbers-inflated/73-a4e52b41-1325-40ed-ba2f-e7856c69895b
• Reporting — Colorado Sun, Denver cuts services amid $180M migrant crisis: https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/09/denver-cuts-services-migrant-crisis/
• Reporting — KDVR, $90M newcomer budget: https://kdvr.com/news/local/denver-introduces-nearly-90m-newcomer-budget-plan-for-migrant-aid/

Nationwide / Federal

• Advocacy — FAIR, 2023 Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration study: https://www.fairus.org/issue/publications-resources/fiscal-burden-illegal-immigration-united-states-taxpayers-2023
• Advocacy — FAIR press release, $151B/year: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-fair-cost-study-illegal-immigration-now-costs-american-taxpayers-at-least-151-billion-a-year-301765985.html
• Official — House Budget Committee, "The Cost of Illegal Immigration to Taxpayers": https://budget.house.gov/download/the-cost-of-illegal-immigration-to-taxpayers
• Reporting — Washington Times, House Budget report on taxpayer cost: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/may/7/house-budget-report-details-high-price-paid-by-tax/
• Official — CBO, "Effects of the Surge in Immigration on State and Local Budgets in 2023" (June 2025; four states spent $3.3B in 2023): https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61256
• Official — GAO, Unaccompanied Children oversight (ORR ~119,000 children FY2023): https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107840
• Official — HHS ACF, ORR Unaccompanied Children program: https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/unaccompanied-children/index.html