Border Wall Would Pay For Itself By Cutting Welfare Use By Illegal Immigrants

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said Mexico would foot the bill for his proposed wall along the southwest border, but the barrier could end up paying for itself by saving the U.S. treasury billions in welfare payments.

Estimates for building a solid physical barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border range from $18 to $25 billion, depending on the type and distance of the wall. Once constructed, though, the barrier would save several times that amount by reducing the number of illegal border crossers who end up on welfare rolls, according to Steven Camarota, the research director at the Center for Immigration Studies.