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First, ImmortalE, the contributions of illegal aliens to Social Security (based on the suspension file, which includes literally decades of unclaimed monies) doesn't even cover one year's worth of payments by Social Security. Then, there's the little matter of their payments actually replacing those of US citizens who have been done out of jobs, and who may now be on welfare. If illegal aliens were legalized and brought into the system, or were able to collect through totalization agreements such as the one with Mexico, that would actually serve to hasten the shortfall in the system. Furthermore, low wage workers such as illegal aliens would be even if legalized, collect disproportionately more than they pay in, in comparison with higher wage workers. That's the way the system is set up. So, adding millions of low wage workers would actually threaten the system even more. Also, since low wage workers from the Third World tend to have larger families than citizens or more highly educated immigrants, we'd find our elderly competing with these children for scarce resources such as money to pay for medical care and education.
There are better alternatives than "open borders" to any difficulties purported social security deficits or "labor shortages" might cause, specifically raising the age at which one is eligible to collect SS (which is already being gradually done), reducing payments to high income pensioners, and more flexible work situations for older workers to keep them on the job longer. "Shortages" would actually serve to raise wages for unattractive jobs, such as nurse's aide, thereby attracting Americans. (And with all the layoffs and dislocations in manufacturing, there are likely to be plenty of low-skilled Americans available.) And of course, there's always selective, legal, and regulated immigration.
There are better alternatives than "open borders" to any difficulties purported social security deficits or "labor shortages" might cause, specifically raising the age at which one is eligible to collect SS (which is already being gradually done), reducing payments to high income pensioners, and more flexible work situations for older workers to keep them on the job longer. "Shortages" would actually serve to raise wages for unattractive jobs, such as nurse's aide, thereby attracting Americans. (And with all the layoffs and dislocations in manufacturing, there are likely to be plenty of low-skilled Americans available.) And of course, there's always selective, legal, and regulated immigration.
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