AdamT
DP Veteran
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Actually, yes. While I am in favor of getting rid of illegals aliens that have criminal records, I was against essentially aiming efforts in such a way that those who do not have a criminal record were ignored especially ones who were easily identifiable. If you're here illegally and we know you're here illegally you should be getting the boot. If you want to focus more on one area or another that's one thing. However, giving carte blanche freedom of having your criminal action ignored and even beyond that being given a benefit of the state is not simply "shifting concentration". It's erasing concentration and its basically stating "I know this is against the law, however as the executive I'm simply going to choose not to enforce the law."
I've expressed the same issue with regards to fedreal marijuana laws. I'm in favor of marijuana being legalized. I think that the amount we spend on stopping people from doing something like that is RIDICULOUS. That said...it's still federal law right now and I disagree with any president just telling people "don't enforce the law". I think there's a large danger there.
Blue Laws, IE things not enforced for nearly 50+ years and have simply not been taken off the books, is one thing. However, the executive branch simply ignoring the legislative branches laws because it doesn't agree with it on things that were just within the past few years active is a different ball of wax regardless of whose doing it.
In the post I was responding to in the one you quoted me, the individual suggested that the President was okay in doing this because the Congress wouldn't pass the laws he wanted. To me that's problematic because it's basically showing the process and the notion of checks and balances as a sham and further empowers the Executive Branch beyond what it's already been empowered with; basically showing that the attempt to work through the proper process of congress is nothing but a dog and pony show and if the executive doesn't get its way then it'll just do it anyways.
Fair enough, and I agree with you in principle. But in this case it is a question of prioritizing, because there is not enough money and manpower to attack all aspects of the problem simultaneously.