Illinois will have spent over $2.5 billion on migrant care by the end of 2025. Costs have shattered projections and left taxpayers poorer.
By Ravi Mishra | Illinois Policy Institute
The Gov. J.B. Pritzker administration’s spending on migrant care has seen massive cost overruns and a troubling lack of transparency, drawing criticism for prioritizing migrants over the needs of taxpayers.
Here’s how Pritzker is spending over $2.5 billion in taxes.
Health care
Health care has been the primary cost. Recent audits have found Illinois has spent over $1.6 billion on migrant health care through July 2024 – far more than originally predicted.
Migrant health benefits are split between two programs. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors was created during the pandemic in 2020 and serves those over the age of 65. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program was created in 2022 and serves ages 42 to 64.
The audit compared state estimates versus actual expenditures for fiscal years 2021 to 2023. Originally, it was estimated the senior program would cost $224 million. Auditors found actual expenditures were 84% higher than expected at $412.3 million.
The adult program overruns were even more dramatic. The expected cost was originally $126.4 million for the three-year period. Actual expenditures came to $485.3 million, nearly four times higher than expected.
In 2023 alone, total costs outpaced expected spending by over $400 million, enough money to shelter Illinois’ entire homeless population for a year.
The audit also found the state spent an additional $719 million for fiscal year 2024.
Read more here.
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