My mom was a legal immigrant from Italy after World War II, as are two of my uncles and an aunt. All four of them were or are very prosperous, contributing Americans. They speak English and have assimilated into their communities. I only exist on this earth because of a legal immigrant.

The Washington Examiner states, “The swelling population of illegal immigrants and their kids is costing American taxpayers $135 billion a year, the highest ever, driven by free medical care, education and a huge law enforcement bill, according to the most authoritative report on the issue yet.” In contrast to a recent “opinion” expressed by a recent contributor to the Daily News, the Washington Examiner is relying on an actual, comprehensive study recently conducted. (Editor’s note: The source was the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, report, “The Fiscal Burden Of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers.”)

The one-time cost of the wall is projected at $25 billion and even if it only keeps out half of the illegal immigrants, that would save us $42.5 billion the first year and $67.5 billion per year thereafter. Just think of the social programs, infrastructure or the military we could invest in with these savings.

The shortsightedness of some Americans that we need illegal immigrants to do our dirty work is not only naïve but borderline racist. The U.S. already has “legal” guest worker programs for agricultural workers and service workers. Our “smart and charming” president utilizes the guest worker program to hire workers for his Mara Lago resort during vacation season.

I do concur with others that our national debt is out of control but it was the Democrats and Barack Obama who created $10 trillion of new debt. The answer to the problem is very clear; build the wall, implement tough illegal immigrant controls and NEVER again vote for a Democrat.