David Bier
@davidjbier.bsky.social
Cato Institute, Director of Immigration Studies, Cato's Selz Foundation Chair in Immigration Policy, BEER, not buyer. Cato, not CATO
ICE is imprisoning 70,000 people for civil violations, and the number will likely double over the course of this year.
February 12, 2026 at 7:02 PM
ICE is imprisoning 70,000 people for civil violations, and the number will likely double over the course of this year.
Other video doesn't support what the agents are saying about being boxed in, which is concerning. The first agent tells the others "camera's on."
February 11, 2026 at 3:09 AM
Other video doesn't support what the agents are saying about being boxed in, which is concerning. The first agent tells the others "camera's on."
Body cam from when Border Patrol shot a woman 5 times in Chicago last year. The agents have guns drawn and pointed. One says "do something b----." Then: "Time to get aggressive." Moments later, the driver can be seen swerving the car into hers, jumping out & firing almost immediately.
February 11, 2026 at 3:07 AM
Body cam from when Border Patrol shot a woman 5 times in Chicago last year. The agents have guns drawn and pointed. One says "do something b----." Then: "Time to get aggressive." Moments later, the driver can be seen swerving the car into hers, jumping out & firing almost immediately.
Best response to our study yet: The nativist equation is: Not hearing Spanish > infinite $$.
February 8, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Best response to our study yet: The nativist equation is: Not hearing Spanish > infinite $$.
This is good on my 2nd point
February 5, 2026 at 4:15 PM
This is good on my 2nd point
In the full report, we evaluate the effects of low-skilled immigrants, noncitizens, illegal immigrants, and children of immigrants. www.cato.org/white-paper/...
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
In the full report, we evaluate the effects of low-skilled immigrants, noncitizens, illegal immigrants, and children of immigrants. www.cato.org/white-paper/...
For decades, nativists have sold America this narrative that immigrant welfare is behind our deficits and debt. This figure shows how absurd that is. This is all government expenditures, federal, state, and local, for the last 3 decades. Immigrants are not to blame:
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
For decades, nativists have sold America this narrative that immigrant welfare is behind our deficits and debt. This figure shows how absurd that is. This is all government expenditures, federal, state, and local, for the last 3 decades. Immigrants are not to blame:
When you put it all together, this is what the fiscal flows for immigrants have looked like for the last 30 years. Immigrants have reduced the deficit every year for 3 decades.
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
When you put it all together, this is what the fiscal flows for immigrants have looked like for the last 30 years. Immigrants have reduced the deficit every year for 3 decades.
What about needs-based assistance? Immigrants are overrepresented in the poverty population, but account for about the average rate for needs-based assistance. Status-based restrictions keep their use rates below the rate predicted by their poverty rate
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
What about needs-based assistance? Immigrants are overrepresented in the poverty population, but account for about the average rate for needs-based assistance. Status-based restrictions keep their use rates below the rate predicted by their poverty rate
For education, immigrants arrive in the US at the average age of about 25, meaning that the US gets workers without having to pay to educate them. They are more costly while in school due to bilingual education, but they're much less likely to be in school
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
For education, immigrants arrive in the US at the average age of about 25, meaning that the US gets workers without having to pay to educate them. They are more costly while in school due to bilingual education, but they're much less likely to be in school
For old age benefits, it's NOT because they're much less likely to be old. Instead, it's because they don't qualify for benefits, either b/c they are here illegally or don't have the required work history/didn't work for the government to qualify for a public pension.
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
For old age benefits, it's NOT because they're much less likely to be old. Instead, it's because they don't qualify for benefits, either b/c they are here illegally or don't have the required work history/didn't work for the government to qualify for a public pension.
On the spending side, immigrants don't cost more than the US-born. Here's everything the government spent money on over the last 30 years. Immigrants were much less costly in two areas: old age benefits and education. Why...?
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
On the spending side, immigrants don't cost more than the US-born. Here's everything the government spent money on over the last 30 years. Immigrants were much less costly in two areas: old age benefits and education. Why...?
And immigrants are better-than-average! Even tho they earn lower wages, they work at so much higher rates that they account for a greater share of total earned income, which results in a higher-than-average share of tax revenues. Immigrants pay more taxes.
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
And immigrants are better-than-average! Even tho they earn lower wages, they work at so much higher rates that they account for a greater share of total earned income, which results in a higher-than-average share of tax revenues. Immigrants pay more taxes.
How can new people cut the deficit? First, a significant portion of spending is "pure public goods," military & interest payments on old debt, that don't increase b/c of immigrants. This means the average new person is paying more in taxes than they receive in benefits...
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
How can new people cut the deficit? First, a significant portion of spending is "pure public goods," military & interest payments on old debt, that don't increase b/c of immigrants. This means the average new person is paying more in taxes than they receive in benefits...
Today @cato.org published our report providing the first look at the fiscal effects of the wave of legal & illegal immigration over the last 3 decades. It shows immigrants created surpluses every year, by a combined $14.5 trillion, even as deficits grew www.cato.org/white-paper/...
February 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
Today @cato.org published our report providing the first look at the fiscal effects of the wave of legal & illegal immigration over the last 3 decades. It shows immigrants created surpluses every year, by a combined $14.5 trillion, even as deficits grew www.cato.org/white-paper/...
New orders in MN are to focus on criminals. No one on the right will be upset DHS is now admitting that it lied about focusing on the "worst of the worst." They gaslit their own people FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR on this. Right wingers defended these lies for them repeatedly.
January 29, 2026 at 9:10 PM
New orders in MN are to focus on criminals. No one on the right will be upset DHS is now admitting that it lied about focusing on the "worst of the worst." They gaslit their own people FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR on this. Right wingers defended these lies for them repeatedly.
But what's happening behind the scenes is even worse than what judges can learn: www.cato.org/blog/admin-m...
January 28, 2026 at 1:23 PM
But what's happening behind the scenes is even worse than what judges can learn: www.cato.org/blog/admin-m...
The cases include striking rhetoric from judges about the federal government's defiance and deception: www.cato.org/blog/admin-m...
January 28, 2026 at 1:22 PM
The cases include striking rhetoric from judges about the federal government's defiance and deception: www.cato.org/blog/admin-m...
My new analysis: The administration misleads and ignores courts most often in immigration cases. In fact, a majority of the instances identified in a compilation by @justsecurity.org were about immigration. When deportations are on the line, expect them to lie to courts. www.cato.org/blog/admin-m...
January 28, 2026 at 1:20 PM
My new analysis: The administration misleads and ignores courts most often in immigration cases. In fact, a majority of the instances identified in a compilation by @justsecurity.org were about immigration. When deportations are on the line, expect them to lie to courts. www.cato.org/blog/admin-m...
San Antonio Spurs NBA star Victor Wembanyama says that he's "horrified" by what he's seeing, but "I'm conscious that saying everything that's on my mind would have a cost that's too great for me right now," speaking "as a foreigner." HORRIFYING! We are not a free country! Evil.
January 27, 2026 at 9:41 PM
San Antonio Spurs NBA star Victor Wembanyama says that he's "horrified" by what he's seeing, but "I'm conscious that saying everything that's on my mind would have a cost that's too great for me right now," speaking "as a foreigner." HORRIFYING! We are not a free country! Evil.
Bovino openly says that we are never learning the identity of the murderer because that would be "doxing." He says he has already gotten the agent out of Minnesota's jurisdiction. He put him back on the job. He is part of an extensive, open criminal coverup.
January 26, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Bovino openly says that we are never learning the identity of the murderer because that would be "doxing." He says he has already gotten the agent out of Minnesota's jurisdiction. He put him back on the job. He is part of an extensive, open criminal coverup.
DHS is claiming that they are under such a violent attack by a population when they are 290 times more violent than the population they are "policing"
January 25, 2026 at 6:07 PM
DHS is claiming that they are under such a violent attack by a population when they are 290 times more violent than the population they are "policing"
A doctor says DHS agents were counting bullet holes rather than assisting Alex as he died. Indeed, they were actively harming him further. We know initially they had only been concerned with finding his weapon
January 25, 2026 at 2:33 AM
A doctor says DHS agents were counting bullet holes rather than assisting Alex as he died. Indeed, they were actively harming him further. We know initially they had only been concerned with finding his weapon
The Pink Jacket lady who filmed the killing tells a court that she is terrified to go home because she’s heard the federal agents who murdered a man in front of her are looking for her! Oh my god.
January 25, 2026 at 2:02 AM
The Pink Jacket lady who filmed the killing tells a court that she is terrified to go home because she’s heard the federal agents who murdered a man in front of her are looking for her! Oh my god.
This is horrific. Absolutely no plausible justification. Straight up murder.
January 24, 2026 at 7:55 PM
This is horrific. Absolutely no plausible justification. Straight up murder.