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I cannot, in good conscience, begrudge any family who illegally enters a country when they are fleeing violence or poverty in their own country (e.g.: they are from a country that is effectively run by drug cartels, or is in the midst of civil war).
“You need to fill out the appropriate paperwork before your family can be safe” is not an argument that will ever sway me. The bureaucracy takes too long in the vast majority of cases. People are scared and want a better life.
Some people illegally immigrate for less serious reasons, in which case sure, get 'em to fill out the proper forms. But I cannot support deporting people whose entire reason to illegally immigrate was for their safety and/or livelihood.
And please note that this position is wholly a moral one, not a legal one. I am a person with a moral compass, not a lawyer.
The “small issue” you described is a logistical one that remains unsolved by bureaucrats, lawmakers, judges, or anyone else. “Bad actors ruin it for those who really need it” is the same “small issue” people use to argue against many services people genuinely need in order to survive.
“Deport them all and let God sort 'em out” is the course America has chosen, and it is the immoral course, as far as I am concerned.
Agreed, but it won’t happen, especially under this administration. They don’t want more immigrants, even “legal” ones. They say they are only against “illegal” immigrants, but let’s be real here. Lemme know when they sign into law some additional funding for hiring more bureaucrats to parse immigration paperwork. I won’t hold my breath.
When immigrants know the legal pathway is unreasonably slow and will not be improved in any way, there’s no incentive to do it the “legal” way.