JACKSON, Miss – Illegal immigration is hurting Mississippi taxpayers, according to a report released today by State Auditor Shad White.

“The illegal immigration problem in Mississippi is spiraling out of control and costing taxpayers millions,” said State Auditor Shad White. “If this problem is not resolved, our public schools, hospitals and prisons will continue to lose enormous amounts of money that we could have spent on our own citizens.”

Analysts at the Office of the State Auditor estimate that there are at least There are currently 22,000 illegal immigrants living in Mississippi. Using conservative estimates, analysts then estimated that illegal immigration cost Mississippi taxpayers over 100 million dollars annually.

The report shows that these costs are driven by spending on education, healthcare and public safety. Mississippi taxpayers pay approximately:

• 25 million US dollars to teach illegal immigrants in public schools from grades 1 to 12
• 77 million US dollars to provide medical care to illegal immigrants and their children
• 1.7 million US dollars to imprison illegal immigrants

The full report, titled “How Illegal Immigration Hurts Taxpayers,” can be found on the auditor’s website under the “Reports” tab and search for “immigration.”

Shad White began his first term as Mississippi’s 42nd State Auditor in July 2018, then won re-election to his first and second terms after building a tough, no-nonsense reputation. In his time as State Auditor, White’s team has stopped the largest public fraud in state history, secured the largest civil recovery following an auditor’s investigation in the office’s history, and closed cases that combined to result in hundreds of years in prison for fraudsters. He holds a certificate in forensic accounting, is a certified fraud investigator, and serves as a captain in the Mississippi National Guard. The son of an oilfield pump worker and a public school teacher, White grew up in rural Jones County and earned degrees from Ole Miss, the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and Harvard Law School. Today, he, his wife, Rina, and their children live in Rankin County and attend St. Richard Church.

See a typo? Report it here.