GOP governor rips Harris after analysis reveals eye-popping cost of illegal immigration in state: 'Disaster'

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Kamala Harris pledges action on the southern border

 Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram has the latest on the pledge to bring back the bipartisan border bill on Special Report.

The state of Mississippi is spending over $100 million on illegal immigration, according to a new report by the state -- with the governor blaming it on an "intentional failure" by the Biden-Harris administration to secure the border.

The report by the Mississippi state auditor found that there are at least 22,000 illegal immigrants in the state. Analysts estimate that it costs taxpayers over $100 million annually, with more than $25 million to educate illegal immigrants in public school alone.

Meanwhile, taxpayers spend $77 million to provide health care for illegal immigrants and their children, and another $1.7 million to incarcerate illegal immigrant criminals, it found.

BORDER RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST KAMALA HARRIS' RECORD ON SECURITY: ‘EVERYTHING IS LITERALLY OPEN’ 

Migrants walk along the highway through Suchiate, Chiapas state in southern Mexico, Sunday, July 21, 2024, during their journey north toward the U.S. border. ((AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente))

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves told Fox News Digital that states "are being forced to step up and pay for the Biden-Harris administration’s intentional failure to secure our border, and Mississippi is no exception."

"Their dangerous immigration policies are endangering Americans and putting enormous financial strain on states all across our country — and it’s long past time to put a stop to it. It’s clear Kamala Harris isn’t up to fixing the administration’s self-inflicted problems at the border," he said. "She’s been a disaster as border czar and is actually making the situation worse. Securing our border starts with electing Donald Trump in November."

"Mississippi’s illegal immigration problem is spiraling out of control and is costing taxpayers millions," said State Auditor Shad White. "Our public schools, hospitals, and prisons will continue to lose massive sums of money that we could have spent on our own citizens if this problem is not solved."

The number is only an estimate because specific data is not always available. The report noted that the Mississippi Dept. of Education is barred from collecting citizenship information. Instead, it used data from the University of Mississippi to project that there are approximately 2,500 illegal immigrants attending public schools. It also accounted for extra spending on English Language Learners  and Low Income Student Supplements. 

For health care, the report found that approximately 50% of illegal immigrants have no health care coverage and 38% use emergency medical services for primary care. It also notes the costs of births to illegal immigrants and the cost of Medicaid for children born to illegal immigrants -- who are citizens of the United States.

OVER 100 STUDENTS WITHOUT BUS SERVICE AS MASSACHUSETTS FUNDS BUSES FOR MIGRANTS

The report says that due to the limited amount of reliable data, the actual spending could be much higher.

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves delivers his State of the State address to the Mississippi State Legislature, Feb. 26, 2024, at the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss.  (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

The report comes at a time when border security and the ongoing crisis at the southern border is a top priority for voters and a major issue ahead of the November election.

Republicans have blamed the three-year border crisis on the Biden administration’s policies, claiming that the administration rolled back Trump-era policies and encouraged migrants to flood into the country as a result.

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The Biden administration has said it needs more funding and reform, including a recent bipartisan Senate bill, but that Republicans have failed to provide it. It has also pointed to a recent sharp drop in encounters and releases since President Biden signed an executive order limiting asylum in June. Vice President Kamala Harris told attendees at the Democratic National Convention last week that former President Trump has "ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal."

"As president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and I will sign it into law. I know, I know, we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system," she said. "We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border."