As a clarification, legal immigrants who have not yet been naturalized and remain under permanent resident status are not entitled to receive welfare for 10 years after entering the United States.

These statements usually refer to the childen of illegal immigrants; these children who are born on U.S. soil are entitled to means-tested benefits.

For the month of January 2006 in the county of Los Angeles, "98,703 children of 57,458 undocumented parents received Cal-WORKS welfare checks in January, or a total of 156,161 recipients."

"If incorporated into a city, it would be the sixth-largest city in Los Angeles County..."

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_3751199

It's time to change the 14th Amendment. The childen of undocumented immigrants should not become U.S. citizens by birthright. They should instead inherit the status of their parent(s). That alone should eliminate some of the incentives to cross the border illegally.