A large number of jurisdictions have decided that assisting the capture of illegals, is more than they want to take on. So they make it a lower priority.
Legislators, administrative managers, police and fire, teachers and medical services all come into contact with illegals.
At each and every level, decisions are being made continually about which laws and regulations to enforce, etc.
That is an excellent point. One which I will steal as my own.
It doesn't matter what the law says if the people don't agree with it, and don't follow it. Not only are the illegals ignoring our immigration laws, so are the legislators, government administrators, police, fire, teachers, and health care providers. I would guess that most of these people are not ignoring the law for profit, or through ignorance, or with evil intent. My guess is they think the system is broke and they don't see a lot of difference between the illegal who works at Subway and the American who works at Subway, when they apply for a license, or put their daughter in school, or need emergency care, or their car is on fire, or they pay their property tax.
Despite carefully worded polls, it seems a very large segment of the population has not been swayed by the conservative arguments that illegals steal jobs and collect welfare, they spread diseases and get free healthcare, they commit crime and swell our prisons.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/what-undocumented-workers-really-want-20130307Sometimes employers like their undocumented workers so much that they willingly flout the law on their behalf. Lizbeth Mateo, a California activist who is open about her immigration status and who has lived in the United States without papers since she was a teenager, helped run a small deli in California for eight years. She was up-front about her illegal status when she applied for the job. It didn’t matter. Her bosses knew they could get audited by immigration authorities, but they said they would worry about that when it happened. It never did.
And that's just the employer. The guy who has more to lose than anyone except the illegal if it is found out. add in her co workers, landlord, bank, insurance companies, friends, et cetera. Now multiply that by tens of millions of illegals.
If expelling illegals was a popular issue then Buchanan, and Tancredo wouldn't be the jokes they are today. Both ran for President on one issue of illegal immigration and they are footnotes in history.
and if terrorism or crime were really the problem of concern with illegals than we would do ourselves much good by amnestying those who are and have been working, paying taxes, and joining their community. You take plain ol' workers out of the border crossings and the criminals and terrorists become easier to spot.
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Where is the poetry for the Deporters?