I don't feel the need to keep immigrants at the same kind of distance. I would certainly welcome immigrants into my neighborhood, help them move in, help them figure out how to get an American driver's license, help them get enrolled in the local schools if needed, and things like that. If we do it right, 5 or 10 years from now they won't be poor any more.
A big factor in my personal life, and a big part of the context out of which I write, is that I work at a university. About half of the faculty in my department are immigrants. Some come from countries that are fine to live in but small, and the US offers more opportunities for research collaboration. Some come from politically unstable countries, and here in the US they can go about their work without worrying about a dictator or a military coup disrupting their lives. A number of my students are immigrants as well; some are here just for the cosmopolitan experience, but others come from economically or politically unstable countries. These faculty and students are really smart people, making significant contributions to their new nation.
When I picture increased immigration, I'm not looking for thousands of people to live permanently in refugee camps on the outskirts of town. I'm envisioning people who are going to live in homes and go to school and have jobs and pay taxes like the rest of us. From my point of view, that's not a disaster at all.