Here in Iowa, back in the 1970's, meat packing was unionized, and a meat packer could make a good living, support a family, save for retirement. http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/250/meat-packing.html Field work like detassling corn was a quick way to make some money. Now these are low-wage jobs, and every so often ICE will come, arrest and deport a bunch of people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postville_raid But meat prices are lower, so there is that. Small family farmers are no longer the norm. The economics are quite different. You ask "Do illegal immigrants help the US financially?" but I don't see a monolithic "the US", I see a many-faceted economy and culture. Corporate interests are served by the low-wage workers that are easily cheated and manipulated with threats of deportation, and this erodes a certain level of decency in society. When I approached a lawmaker about wage theft - workers not being paid https://www.wagetheft.org/faq - he seemed to think that only citizens deserved the protection of government. Your question seems to suggest that our neighbors are not deserving of public services. Shame on us if we fail to be compassionate!