> Economists say every immigrant is a net economic positive to the nation.
This can only be true if they sustain themselves on their own work. An immigrant that does not work and only lives on subsidies can hardly be called a net positive.
This is not behavior exclusive to immigrants though. Either way the welfare state is not very strong in the US. There are 75,000 homeless people in LA county for example.
There's an enormous welfare state in the US through what is essentially jobs programs.
Health insurance companies, for example, are a negative drain on society, yet they employ hundreds of thousands of workers, in what can only be explained as a make-work program for pointless bureaucracy.
Lots of this in the DOD as well. And the homeless program administrators, which you mentioned.
It's just not explicit welfare to the poorest of the poor and there are a few implicit steps, because otherwise it looks bad.
This can only be true if they sustain themselves on their own work. An immigrant that does not work and only lives on subsidies can hardly be called a net positive.