Undocumented immigrants are estimated to pay about $26 billion a year into Social Security through payroll taxes, based on 2022 data reported in 2024. That same reporting said they paid roughly $25.7 billion into Social Security and are not eligible to collect those benefits.

How that happens

A lot of the money comes out of wages through payroll withholding. In some cases, employers and workers still pay Social Security taxes even when the worker does not have legal authorization to work, so the system receives contributions from people who generally cannot claim retirement benefits later.

What the number means

  • Social Security contribution: about $25.7 billion in 2022.
  • Total taxes paid overall: about $96.7 billion in 2022.
  • Per person estimate: roughly $9,000 in total taxes per undocumented immigrant, according to the cited report.

Important nuance

The exact amount varies by year, wage levels, and how many workers are using false or mismatched Social Security numbers. So the best current public estimate is not a fixed individual amount, but an aggregate national figure in the mid-$20 billions for Social Security alone.

TL;DR: The commonly cited estimate is around $26 billion per year into Social Security.