Statute of Limitations for Illegal Immigration?

By Mark Krikorian on May 8, 2014

Republicans like Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush, Grover Norquist, et al. who insist that the House GOP pass Chuck Schumer's amnesty bill are saying that Obama can be trusted to enforce whatever new immigration laws we come up with. As if there weren't already abundant evidence of the absurdity of such trust, a Buzzfeed story adds to the pile.

The story is about disagreement between Schumer and the White House over plans to water down enforcement even more. The less-sophisticated among the anti-borders Left are demanding that the ongoing review of deportation policy, designed to make it more "humane," result in dramatic new curbs on the removal of illegal aliens or, even better, de facto amnesty for all illegals along the lines of Obama's illegal DREAM Act–style DACA amnesty. Schumer — also part of the anti-borders Left, but smarter than the others — warns that any further curbs on deportation, even minor ones, would doom efforts to get Republicans to sign on to a broad amnesty bill.

More interesting, though was this bit from the article:

The administration is also reportedly looking at shortening the time an immigrant is considered new, and therefore a removal priority. A recent immigrant would go from someone who entered in the last three years, to someone who entered in the last two weeks.

Although I disagree as a matter of policy, the idea that an illegal has put down roots here after three years, and thus shouldn't be deported, at least makes a certain kind of sense. But to exempt an illegal alien from deportation simply because he snuck in at least 15 days ago is surreal. Or, more accurately, it's proof that the Left has no intention whatsoever of enforcing future immigration laws, even if all the illegals here today get amnesty.

The goal of "comprehensive immigration reform" isn't the fixing of any particular aspect of immigration law. It's the abolition of immigration law.