Peoria Standard

Darin LaHood, Representative of Illinois, said that state and local taxpayers are facing a heavy burden due to funds spent on services for illegal immigrants under sanctuary city policies. The statement was made in a press release.

"Illinois families are already struggling with the highest combined state and local tax burden in the country," said LaHood, U.S. Representative from Illinois. "they should not be forced to subsidize over $2.5 billion in taxpayer money. taxpayer money that has been spent on illegal immigrants over the last four years. under your sanctuary policies in Illinois."

Illinois has adopted sanctuary city policies, including the 2017 TRUST Act, which limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials. This approach, defended by Governor J.B. Pritzker, aims to protect undocumented immigrants while ensuring public safety. However, it has sparked fiscal concerns and political debate, especially as migrant arrivals surged in 2023 and 2024, straining city budgets according to reporting by Axios.

Recent data from the Illinois Policy Institute show that Illinois families bear the highest combined state and local tax burden in the country. The average household pays 15% of its income, or roughly $10,463 per year—a 22% increase since 2017—as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.

A 2024 analysis by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) found that Illinois spent about $2.84 billion on services for undocumented immigrants since 2022. This amount is among the highest nationally; by comparison, California and New York each spent over $5 billion, highlighting Illinois’s significant but not topmost taxpayer outlay according to a FAIR policy brief.

LaHood is a Republican U.S. Representative from Illinois’s 16th district and has been serving since 2015. He is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, chairs its Work and Welfare Subcommittee, and has advocated for stricter immigration laws and lower taxes according to his official biography on the House website.

The Illinois state government was established in 1818 and is structured into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The General Assembly (House and Senate) holds primary authority over fiscal policy, budget approval, and oversight with key roles played by the governor and the Comptroller in implementing and auditing fiscal decisions as described by the official Illinois state portal.