Reply #35: Not overnight...

[redeye]

...but let's look at the following facts:

1) It's physically hard to immigrate to the USA from any country other than Mexico or Canada, if you're poor;

2) Most people who don't immigrate now but will if immigration restrictiosn are repealed will be poor, because people with enough money either don't need to immigrate or can do so legally;

3) Therefore, most new immigrants who'll come will be from Mexico;

4) Therefore, the USA will be able to use resources from Mexico - e.g. join Texas' and the West's power grids with those of northern Mexico;

5) Therefore, resources that can easily be transferred, such as electricity and water, won't be a problem.

QED about the resources.

As for the additional infrastructure needed, I don't see Los Angeles and San Diego becoming the Mumbais of North America, and those cities are flooded with immigrants even now. Besides, it'll take some time before everyone comes in (jobs won't spring up overnight), and moreover it'll take some time before immigrants have enough money to consume enough to warrant building new roads and better sewage.