The problem I see with us complaining about the social services costs is that the positive impact illegal immigrants have had on the economy far outweighs these costs. It is tough to put a figure on it (perhaps someone has data?), but these 10 million people fill unwanted and low wage jobs that would otherwise go unfilled at a time of almost full employment in this country. They spend some of the hundreds of billions of dollars they earn on consumption. Seems to me that the real issues here are 1) Criminal activity, and 2) The impact that immigration has on our culture. Are small towns in Wisconsin, for example, willing to welcome in masses of Mexican immigrants whose culture differs from their own? And are those immigrants willing to assimilate into our own culture, learn English etc? Too many immigrants too fast can radically change a culture. I say that most Americans will welcome this so long as it is balanced because I am convinced that unlike Muslim immigrants in Europe, Mexican immigrants share many of our values and will want to assimilate over time. In the short run though we will see increased crime, friction in communities and the like.
