Axios’ Josephine Walker probably thinks she’s on to something for Orange Man Bad, but, hey, this seems cheapTrump deportations cost taxpayers $2,358 each American taxpayers would pay about $2,358 each for President Trump’s mass deportation push, according to a new calculator tool from the Economic Policy Institute. Why it matters: The estimate fuels debate over whether billions of federal dollars devoted to deportations could instead fund other public priorities such as food assistance, health care or housing. That amount could instead fund SNAP benefits for 455,000 additional people, public housing assistance for 21,000 households or Medicaid coverage for 30,000 people. According to the analysis, that amount could alternatively fund SNAP benefits for 1.9 million Connecticuters, public housing assistance for roughly 181,000 households or Medicaid coverage for 186,000 people. We might have that money if we weren’t spending all that money on illegals.