"And the welfare and indigent care cost us more than they're worth"
I'd like to see actual numbers on this. I suspect it may be true in some places, some of the time, but nationally a big chunk of the economy depends on access to this bottomless source of very cheap labor. Regardless, I'm not making a case for the current system--I think we should have control of our borders. Illegals enter the country in large numbers because we let them. End of story.
Victor Davis Hanson and other researchers have documented
that the average illegal per year collects about$40,000
more in social services than he contributes in labor or
taxes. We, the taxpayers, have to support the bankrupt
school districts, insolvent hospitals, prison incarcerations, and welfare that the sunami of illegals
is causing. This is not to even go into the almost
criminal negligence that is part of Bush's guest-worker
(amnesty) program that leaves the borders out-of-control
in an age of international terrorism.