Ever wonder how much it costs to deport an illegal immigrant?

Now we know: $12,500.

That estimate — the cost for arresting, detaining and deporting someone from the U.S. — comes from Immigration and Customs Enforcement deputy director Kumar Kibble.

Migrants rights activists protest outside the U.S. Embassy on the second anniversary of President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration in Mexico City, on Jan. 20. Protesters said the administration has failed to address immigration promptly. Deportations of illegal migrants from the U.S. reached a record 393,000 in the 2010 fiscal year


Kibble offered up the cost Wednesday during the the first hearing of an immigration subcommittee under Republican leadership.

The hearing on Wednesday was titled “ICE Worksite Enforcement – Up to the Job?â€