Thinking we ought not punish children for the crimes of their parents in which the parents entagled them -- in this instance dragging them across the US border or keeping them with them when the family overstayed their visas in violation of our laws -- is not the same as "argu[ing] that it’s okay for foreigners to ignore our immigration laws."
And yes, exile to a country of which one has at best dim childhood memories, when one grew up in the US, is a punishment.
