The Center for Immigration Studies reports via the Washington Times that 43% of immigrants who have been in the country for 20 years are using welfare benefits. Hat tip to the Drudge Report for the link.
Simple arithmetic says the other 57% are employed or being supported by someone who is employed. Try a thought experiment. Do you believe the employed 57% are paying enough taxes to support the 43% on welfare? You don't think so? Neither do I.
Are long-term immigrants a net loss for the society? It feels like that's what the data is telling us. On the other hand, recent immigrants are much more likely to be employed, the study shows.
All of this points to a legal guest worker program so laborers would come here, work for several years, and then take their earnings home. We once had such a program, called the bracero program, we could have one again.
