Dr. John Lott appeared on the podcast The Truth with Lisa Boothe for a wide-ranging discussion about illegal immigration, crime, deportations, and the financial costs of prosecuting and incarcerating noncitizens accused of crimes.
Dr. Lott discussed his recent research estimating the taxpayer costs associated with criminal prosecutions, using a Virginia fentanyl case to illustrate how expenses related to legal proceedings, jail time, public defenders, prosecutors, and eventual incarceration can add up. He argued that even a relatively straightforward case can cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, while violent-crime prosecutions can be substantially more expensive. His analysis estimated that prosecuting 248,000 people at $150,000 per case would cost $37.2 billion, while a $600,000-per-case estimate would bring the total to nearly $149 billion.
They also discussed the distinction between being charged with and convicted of a crime, sanctuary policies, ICE enforcement, deportation proceedings, and the challenges of identifying criminal histories from other countries.
The conversation also covered recent U.S. crime trends and Dr. Lott’s argument that tougher law enforcement and broader legal concealed carry can help deter crime.
See also Dr. Lott’s new op-ed at the New York Post titled “Left’s push to delay deporting illegal-migrant criminals imposes huge costs on taxpayers.”
(Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 2:32 to 2:58 PM MT)
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