Refugee flood isn’t smart policy, it’s the gift that keeps on taking

Low-skilled immigration creates fiscal burden of up to $400,000 per person, but politicians ignore the staggering long-term costs to American taxpayers.

From 2019-2023, the median Somali household in Minnesota had an income of $43,600, compared to a national median of $78,538. That means that they will qualify for many federal benefits available to citizens and some immigrants. Simon Hankinson is a senior research fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center and author of "The Ten Woke Commandments (You Must Not Obey)" from Academica Books. 

In 2025, the magazine County Highway reported in depth on the scam, followed by City Journal, and finally even the New York Times. Walz, who has been in power for nearly eight years, tried to shift blame away from himself and from Somalis on to President Donald Trump and conservatives for noticing. It didn’t work. 

But there’s an underlying story that is no less important: the much larger cost of absorbing millions of low-skilled immigrants.