I am libertarian, have been for a long time, and am extremely liberal... with MY money. When it comes to YOUR money (via taxes) it is my opinion that I do NOT have a right to YOUR money to help Pablo, or Jaques, or Tong Gui, or Bill or Harry or Susie. It is government mandated theft, and I am no more pissed off that it goes to an illegal than I would be if it went to a citizen. As an aside on that point, I believe there is enough resistance to the concept of federal/state benefits to non-citizens (NOT just illegals), that an amnesty program conditioned on some type of nationalized Prop 200 principles (which was a WONDERFUL piece of legislation, btw!... state oriented, local provisions, local control) could well be a springboard to rolling back the whole welfare state. Bear with me just a moment to explain:
The whole REASON for the welfare stuff (at least the Great Society stuff) was essentially the argument that since blacks were unequal and disadvanaged, the gov't needed to give a hand. If you had a whole NEW minority subculture who came in, succeeded and prospered WITHOUT fed bennies, you can make a much more powerful argument against the whole welfare state (it really IS destructive to initiative, enslaving, demotivating, and harmful).
It is just that I see SO MUCH GOOD in the latino community that I want to cheer for them, and I really get my hackles up when I see stuff that I think portrays them as shiftless, cheats, thieves, criminals and worse.
My wife is Latina. I have had some great clients and friends who are from Central and Latin America. I know that, when compared to welfare freeloaders 5th generation American, they often have stronger work ethics. Still, the amount of wealth transfer going to illegal aliens is of galactic size proportions. It will increase greatly the more "legitimate" they become, e.g., as they become citizens.