"They" (legal aliens) will more likely than not become U.S. citizens after the 5-year transition period from legal aliens to citizen is over. Then they can enter into homeland security debates just as "regular" Americans can, right? As far as coming to the U.S. for money, sure, that's probably the main reason illegal and legal aliens show up. If things go bad here, if they've made enough American dollars here, or if they want to retire they can leave and go back to their country of origin. As far as immigrants not thinking of themselves as Americans the situation is more complicated than you have alluded to. Generally, the native-born Americans try to socialize with other native-born people, which leaves the immigrant groups creating social networks within their own groups.
Generally, the native-born Americans try to socialize with other native-born people, which leaves the immigrant groups creating social networks within their own groups. Ha, this is utter poppy cock, what happens is they create a tiny minature of their native country, I'm sure it's instinctive. Native born Americans are far more use to socializing with other races than any other people on the face of the earth. The native born Americans of all colors have fed more people than any other nation on earth, educated more people than any other nation on earth, accepted more immigrants than any other people on earth, and benefited the individual more than any other people on earth, and immigrants have the utter gall to call us racists if we even think about protecting ourselves from illegal immigration, Balkanization, civil war, economic collapse, or loss of the Constitution.
Sure the immigrant is free to call us racists, this is America after all, but if said within my ear shot I'll exercise my freedom of speech to tell them what worthless, unappreciative, pieces of trash they are.