In his paper Economics and Emigration: Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk? (PDF, 24 pages, ungated), Michael Clemens compares arguments against immigrant entry into the work force with arguments against women’s entry into the work force:

All the economic and social arguments against immigrant entry to the workforce could be – and were – deployed decades ago against female entry to the workforce. (“But men built those companies! Why should we allow women to work when there are qualified, unemployed men? Why should a man pay taxes for a woman’s unemployment insurance? Will female employees assimilate and act just like men as we all wish? And what harm will be wrought in the homes they abandon?”)

Now these arguments sound worse than ridiculous.