I don't understand how you could arrive at that interpretation of what I wrote.
My point was not self-evident it seems. Of course there are agencies investigating the groups that I mentioned. There should be. But given the number of those crooks (and others) still roaming the streets, they're not exactly getting them all (the foolish and ineffective war on drugs is a glaring example). So why would you want to waste those resources chasing people who are doing an honest day's work to throw them out of the country? How are you further ahead by doing so, is what I was asking. Is that really a priority or is it just ramped-up anti-foreigner emotion? It's not clear to me which it is.
And by selective prosecution, what I was getting at was that the authorities probably ignore some criminals to give priority to others all the time. So that it's well within the investigative discretion to NOT give priority to some things at certain times. Which is another reason for me to scoff at the chasing down of illegal immigrants. Does anyone actually believe that the authorities will be able to maintain the momentum of doing that over the next 5 months, 5 years, 15 years? I just find that hard to believe.
I guess what I'm saying is, in crude terms, if you can't keep illegal drugs out of prisons, how are you going to chase down millions of illegal immigrants, DACA or otherwise? As offended and irritated as some people are at their presence in the country, I find it impossible to believe that anything much can be realistically done about it.
First, you're comparing apples to oranges here, and then throwing in some pears too. As Slobo stated, legal citizens engaging in illegal activities need to be charged first, and then those charges need to be proven. This is not an easy task, and, although sometimes police officers choose not to follow throw, this is not the case the majority of the time. Police officers, detectives and DAs work in vain trying to prove a case they know will not work out all the time. Alas, you are innocent until proven guilty, and rightfully so, but this does mean justice is not always given. This is why not every criminal is off the street.
If someone is here illegally, it takes matter of minutes to prove so. Significantly less resources are needed.
Second, although enforcement of the law is important, a law's first purpose is to act as a deterrent. What deterrent exists to keep people from illegally emigrating currently? It seems to be very little.
In 1990 only 3.5% of the USA were illegal aliens, it is now up to 11.3% according to the Pew Research Center. That is a staggering increase, not to mention an incredibly large amount of the population. I would say that this stat clearly shows a problem exist, and a solution is warranted.
Third, 59% of Americans in a recent poll agree and stated that they want immigration reform. This is a loosing battle for the left; either they sit down and start negotiating or they're just going to loose more elections, and we'll end up with a much stricter immigration policy then what is good for the country. This is why Trump ended DACA, to force congress to act and negotiate.
Last, do I think we should round up, kick out and ban all of these dreamers? No, that would be cruel. However, do I think they should be given a free pass and a jump to the front of the line? Absolutely not, and doing so would be a slap in the face to all of those who choose the legal way of emigrating here. Give them the option to apply for a visa, without needing to leave the country, and then let the natural course of the process work out.
