We agree. I am curious to hear from people on the other end of the spectrum about this.
Specifically, what is wrong with being an illegal immigrant other than the fact that it violates a law?
The same thing that is wrong with legal immigrants, they generally harm (rather than improve) the well-being of resident Americans. Immigration, especially illegal immigration, is not based on knowledge, skills, or natural ability. It is based on family connection, illegal entry, and arbitrary 'needs' for the business community to hire the cheapest possible labor.
Since you portrayed LEGAL immigrants as "the same thing which is wrong" and they allegedly "generally harm (rather than improve) the well being of resident Americans", let's see if the legal immigrant have been since 1983 indeed fits the profile below :
1. They lower wages for the least skilled Americans, and dilute opportunity for their apprenticeship.
Nope. I do not lower wages for the least skilled Americans and dilute opportunity for their apprenticeship. Any "resident American" has as much opportunity as I have to be a certified health care worker, as much opportunity as I have to comply with the mandated by the Board of Nursing education and training and as much opportunity as I have to contribute to the well being and welfare of home bound disabled and elderly patients or "resident Americans".
2. They increase the violent crime rate.
Can you provide documentation supporting your claim applied to LEGAL immigrants since you equated legal immigrants to illegal immigrants.
3. They use an ordinate amount of public welfare.
I have never used any amount of welfare as a legal immigrant.
4. They have to be subsidized by American citizens, paying a good part of their medical, housing, and education.
As a legal immigrant, I have been paying my mortgage, I pay my medical bills, and as far as education is concerned, no one but me pays for all the mandated Continuous Education Units or Credits I am required to update yearly. And I were to decide to go back to College to complete my current degree or better worded add to my French college degree, I would be needing a student loan like many "resident Americans" do.
5. They generally do not pay for themselves in economic surplus, and certainty do not contribute a surplus.
My employer would disagree with you in view of how they are able to retain clients/patients due to the excellency of the home health care services I provide. Which in return adds to their profit marge.
6. They create major externality costs in environmental degradation, increased urbanization, demand for water in drought stricken states, crowding of parks, beaches, etc.
I am not aware of the population of French expats and legal immigrants residents in Florida creating such issues. Since I am also part of that category of legal immigrants.
I am specifically addressing here your claim that legal immigrants " generally harm (rather than improve) the well-being of resident Americans."
Considering also that in the course of the several years I have been a legal immigrant,legal resident and legal part of the working force in this nation, I have encountered numerous legal immigrants of various origins, nationalities and ethnicity who do NOT " generally harm (rather than improve) the well-being of resident-Americans". None of them fitting the profile you have established above.
As to your depiction of illegal immigrants and based on your previously observed comments through FRDB, they strike me as motivated by a xenophobic mentality where the foreigner and culturally different person from Anglo Saxon origins can only be a nuisance and an inferior individual.