"Interesting perspective and post" I was told

[Stonepounder]

9. Welcome to DU! I am retired as well.

I make a little over 1/2 what you make. (Well, I don't actually 'make' it is the income the Mrs and I derive from Social Security.) We don't live in NYC, but we certainly live comfortably in a suburb of a fair sized city in the South/Midwest.

Probably the best argument you could use on your wife and friends is that now is NOT a good time for non-US Citizens to come to the US. You could try and get a visa for your wife and kids, but at best it would take a couple of years for her and the kids to get a resident visa. If you bring her into the country illegally INS/ICE could swoop in at any time, grab your wife and kids and lock them up pending deportation.

If you ever do decide to try and bring your family to the US, wait until the bigot in the White House is out of office and start trying to put the country back together again.