Here's a quote from the CATO institute, a conservative think tank.

http://www.cato.org/dailys/4-22-97.html

"Myth number four: Immigrants impose a financial burden on taxpayers. Immigrants do make somewhat heavier use of means-tested welfare programs than natives. There have been especially flagrant abuses by immigrants of particular welfare programs, such as Supplemental Security Income. But because immigrants tend to come to the United States during the start of their working years --between the ages of 18 and 35 -- they make very large net contributions to the two largest income transfer programs: Social Security and Medicare. When the payroll tax contributions of immigrants are taken into account, the Urban Institute found that the foreign born constitute a net fiscal windfall to the public sector of some $20 billion a year. To the extent that welfare use by immigrants is a problem, this can be addressed by restricting the welfare eligibility of immigrants, not by keeping immigrants out. "

That's $20 Billion EXTRA in taxpayer's pockets. According to the conservatives. They even offer a reasonable answer to the "leech" problem.

And here is a University professor (a liberal, no doubt by the tone of the paper) who says basicly the same thing.

http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/guadalu4.htm

The ones who are saying otherwise (and there ARE people who say otherwise) are almost unanimously the radical right, and are pretty slow to offer any kind of facts or statistics. in fact, this one even offers that I shouldn't check the statistics.

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b30c0535a05.htm

"You don't have to look at statistics -- just visit the maternal ward..."

Well thanks very much free republic, I think I'll just stick to the facts.