Stopped in the middle of the first rant. You did enough research to discount reports that local business owners liked the new workers because they were polite and hard workers, but apparently missed on demographic data that showed how Springfield had been losing workers and population, from 82K in 1960 to 58K in 2002... and that included immigrants.

The town was dying, especially as younger people moved away to where they could find work.

Problem is, with declining birthrates and an aging population, the US needs immigrants. But such nuances are hard to articulate and "eating dogs and cats" is a better soundbite.