Problem is not legal immigrants. I am a legal immigrant and over the last 55 years since arriving here, I have made acquaintance with 10,000 immigrants or more. I was president of India Association of Chicago.
I know personally many legal immigrants who were sponsored by a relative who is US citizen, many of these immigrants over 65 are parents of US citizens. All these seniors get social security checks and medicaid, even when they have never contributed one red cent to social security. It does not even matter that their sponsors are wealthy.
Immigrants who come here who are highly skilled, such as scientists and doctors and chemical engineers perform productive tasks and are actually helping the US economy. Silicon valley is full of businesses started by immigrants. To reduce those type of immigrants is a fool’s game who do not understand how economy grows.
So, we need to reduce legal immigrants coming here as relatives and have low skills or are seniors.
New Zealand has a smart immigration policy. You can immigrate to NZ if you have skills required in NZ, or bring $1.5 million US cash with you. If you are a senior, you must bring $10 million US cash with you. Because they understand seniors will not work and produce anything and will be a burden on their healthcare system.
They did the same thing in Canada where I;m from. For the past 4 years, the quota number per year decreased and they literally make it harder to immigrate there. The point system makes it so and filters you thru the system making sure you don’t become a welfare hindrance.