But they are sending us an endless supply of people they don't want. It isn't our gain when those people end up in housing projects and add to a high illiteracy rate here in the US. We now have to offer a Spanish GED because they don't care to learn English or finish school around here.
As someone pointed out very early in the thread, the same was true of Irish and Polish immigrants a hundred years ago - where do you think all those "dumb Pollock" jokes came from?
As for the welfare state, note that those people who shout "Libertarian!" everytime someone brings up the free market or individual freedom should note that only one political party is calling for the complete abolition of the welfare state.
And it's not the GOP.