US population in 1940 was 131 million people.
US casualties because of the war were 419,000.
The loss of these people didn’t destroy the country.
Not even close.
Then look what happened to the country in the following decades.
If we take 20 Million illegals.
Figure one fourth of them are productively employed.
The loss of them would be replaced by those now considered out of the labor force.
With the population decrease and the return of rightful citizens working, our labor participation would be back to peak levels.
U-6 unemployment would virtually match U-3 enemployment.
PLUS, if there was a shortage of labor in this country, THEN we could always open our legal immigration, allowing people to legally come into this country. But ONLY at OUR needs.
The loss of these people didn’t destroy the country.
Not even close.
Then look what happened to the country in the following decades.
It was a completely different back story.
And, again, I’m not saying we shouldn’t do it. We most definitely should. I’m just saying it will not be a zero sum game, or even positive - at first. In the long run it will be MUCH better, however.