Trump's White House officials spiked report highlighting contributions made by refugees

The Trump administration rejected a federal study showing that refugees would contribute $63 billion to the economy over the next decade.

The White House pressured officials to reject the internal study by the Department of Health and Human Services, which contradicted claims used to justify the travel ban and other anti-immigrant measures, reported the New York Times.

The study was completed in July but never publicly released, and it sparked intense debate within the administration.

Stephen Miller, the chief policy adviser to President Donald Trump, led the fight to bury the report, which some White House officials said was illegitimate and politically motivated.

The draft study found refugees “contributed an estimated $269.1 billion in revenues to all levels of government” between 2005 and 2014 through the payment of federal, state and local taxes.

Overall, this report estimated that the net fiscal impact of refugees was positive over the 10-year period, at $63 billion,” the draft report found.

But that version never reached the president's desk, and the final report shows the per-capita cost of a refugee is higher than an American.