WATCH: Trump ‘not gonna pay’ child care fraud; Immigration enforcement costs; Moving out

WATCH: Trump ‘not gonna pay’ child care fraud; Immigration enforcement costs; Moving out

(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares the latest in the ongoing scrutiny of taxpayer spending on child care subsidies with President Donald Trump saying he’s not going to pay states like Illinois for child care fraud.

Bishop also shares reaction from Illinois state Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, to a recently published Chicago Tribune report about the estimated taxpayer cost of immigration enforcement in Illinois coming to around $59 million and counting. Halbrook says the taxpayer cost of illegal immigration is much higher than that.

Finally, Bishop shares some reaction from Illinois state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, to the ongoing trend of Illinois seeing more people move out of the state that are moving in.

Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted.

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