I agree on your immigration point (remove incentive to come for gimmes) but, realistically, if we ended welfare funding cold-turkey, we would have favelas develop as in Brazil. Looting/theft would be a regular occurrence in the residential areas because people will do anything to feed themselves. Couldn't leave your family at home to go work for fear that they would be robbed while you are away. Not enough jobs out there to fully employ all on the dole right now. In my little county, 51% of the people are on some kind of govt assistance. We would come to blows, I feel certain.

Welfare needs reformed - I suggest that the US pay for everybody's first child, regardless of your income. Gives everybody a fair chance to have a family if they want, but doesn't reward multiple births just to grab additional checks for your family. If you know you aren't going to have an extra income for the next baby, you might spend your money on Birth control instead of having to start funding diapers, formula, etc. The disability system needs dramatically reformed as well. There are sedentary jobs that many of the disabled can perform to work around many physical disabilities. Another program that needs reformed is the investment incentives offered to foreign-citizens to come start up in the US. Loan to Grant programs, tax deferrals/waivers for their businesses, etc. If that's offered to some, it should be offered to all, incl US citizens.