Charlotte and Raleigh taxpayers have an estimated share of nearly $1,500 billion in federal funding earmarked for immigration enforcement during fiscal years 2025–2029, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) compiled by Herman Legal Group.
But that figure does not imply that their local councils will disburse that money or that each resident will receive an additional bill.
El full testIt combines public data from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the National Priorities Project, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Census Bureau, and KFF.
How much of the funding for immigration enforcement is attributed to taxpayers in Charlotte and Raleigh?
According to the analysis, of the federal funding allocated to immigration control between fiscal years 2025 and 2029, it is estimated that US$978.7 million corresponds to the tax contribution of Charlotte residents and US$521.4 million to that of Raleigh.
For families in both cities, these figures do not mean an additional bill or an automatic tax increase, but rather a reduction in support resources in their cities.
“Changes in federal funding have already had consequences for some local services. After Charlotte Web, aside from the calls we receive for immigration assistance, it's about financial assistance, and it's very difficult to obtain resources to assist these families,” said Stefanía Arteaga, co-founder and co-executive director of the Carolina Migrant Network. Enlace Latino NC.
How is each city's participation calculated?
La PPE calculator It distributes national funding according to the proportion of federal income tax that corresponds to each community.
To do this, it uses records from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the 2022 tax year.
In the case of cities, there is a limitation: tax data by postal code is distributed among localities using population estimates.
Since a postal code can cover multiple jurisdictions, the results are approximations.
The model also presents an average per tax return:
That average requires clarification: a joint return from a couple counts as one.
Furthermore, the calculation includes those who have a federal income tax obligation after applying tax credits; it is not equivalent to dividing the amount among all inhabitants.
| City | Estimated total participation, 2025–2029 | Average per return with federal tax due after credits |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | US $ 978.7 million | US$3,150 |
| Raleigh | US $ 521.4 million | US$3,068 |
Source: PPE data compiled by Herman Legal Group.
What does the study examine?
The study analyzes three aspects related to immigration control policies in the United States: the cost to taxpayers, the impact on the workforce, and demographic changes.
Cost to taxpayers
Federal funds allocated for immigration control during fiscal years 2025–2029 amount to approximately $269,000 billion.
To estimate how much of that funding is at the expense of taxpayers in each state and city, the study uses the EPI's deportation cost model.
Nationally, the amount is equivalent to $2,358 per tax return with tax obligation, or approximately $787 per inhabitant.
California ($39,800 billion), Texas ($23,100 billion), Florida ($22,400 billion) and New York ($21,400 billion) together account for almost 40% of the total estimated.
Impact on the workforce
The study also examines the increase in arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the interior of the country and the participation of immigrants in essential sectors of the economy.
During the first year of the administration, ICE arrests in the interior of the country nearly tripled, going from 112,231 to 335,619.
According to KFF, immigrants represent 28% of physicians in the United States and 30% of workers who provide direct care in long-term care services.
To assess the relationship between these trends, the study uses the Immigrant Workforce Exposure Index, developed by the law firm responsible for the analysis. This tool ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia according to their exposure to the effects of immigration policies on the workforce.
Impact on the population
The study also analyzes the role of international migration in demographic changes in U.S. counties.
According to the data presented, international migration contributed to population growth in 247 counties.
In another 882 counties, the arrival of immigrants helped to slow the rate of population loss, although it was not enough to stop it.
Fiscal impact in North Carolina
In North Carolina, deportations could also affect the revenue received by the state and local governments.
An analysis of NC Budget & Tax Center And the Immigration Research Initiative estimates that deporting or detaining 10% of the undocumented population could reduce state budget revenue by about US$69 million per year.
The study “The economic and fiscal impact of mass deportations: what is at risk in North Carolina?” was published in May 2025.
The calculation is based on the US$692 million that undocumented people paid in state and local taxes in 2022; it is a projection of what could be lost in public coffers under that scenario.
This estimate differs from the share of Charlotte and Raleigh taxpayers in federal funding.
One measures revenue that the state and its communities could lose; the other, the portion of federal taxes that would go toward immigration enforcement. The amounts should not be added together as if they were a single account.
Report findings
The report, prepared by the Immigration Research Initiative and the NC Budget & Tax Center, analyzes the contribution of immigrants to the North Carolina economy and the potential consequences of mass deportations in essential sectors of the state.
Among its main findings are:
Immigrant population
North Carolina is home to approximately 995,000 immigrants, of whom 562,000 do not have U.S. citizenship.
Of this latter group, an estimated 325,000 are undocumented immigrants.
Tax contributions
In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid US$692 million in state and local taxes in North Carolina.
According to the report, deporting 10% of this population would represent an estimated loss of US$69 million annually in state and local tax revenue.
Essential goods and services
Immigrants, regardless of their immigration status, play an important role in various sectors of the North Carolina economy.
The report warns that the detention and deportation of these workers could reduce the availability of essential goods and services and increase their costs.
The consequences could affect food production, housing construction, reconstruction efforts after natural disasters, and services such as hotels, restaurants, and healthcare.
Agriculture
Nationally, more than half of the agricultural workers engaged in crop farming are immigrants.
According to the report, the vast majority of these immigrant workers are undocumented or have temporary H-2A visas.
Restaurants and hospitality
In the United States, 7% of workers in the leisure and hospitality sector are undocumented.
In North Carolina, immigrants, both documented and undocumented, make up 14% of the approximately 85,000 cooks who work in the state.
The report notes that some of these workers could face the risk of deportation, with potential consequences for the availability of personnel in the sector.
Construction
Nationally, 13% of construction workers are undocumented.
In North Carolina, one in four construction workers is an immigrant. It is estimated that around 92,000 immigrants work in the state's construction industry.
Their involvement includes building homes and repairing and rebuilding infrastructure after natural disasters.
The report warns that deportations could worsen the labor shortage and affect the sector's ability to respond to these needs.
Medical care and care services
Immigrant workers also play important roles in healthcare and childcare services, as well as services for the elderly and people in need of assistance.
Their participation is especially relevant in North Carolina, where there is a shortage of personnel in the health sector.
According to evidence cited in the report, mass deportations could exacerbate this shortage, increase pressure on healthcare facilities, and reduce the availability of services in various communities across the state.
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