A nation in which one administration can allow millions of unvetted illegal migrants into the country, but requires that a court vet each deportation decision in an individually adjudicated case will soon lose the values our democratic system was intended to preserve.
~ Bill Ackman.<1>
I’m not sure what Mr. Ackman means by “the values our democratic system was intended to preserve.” My guess is that he’s referring to the procedures we’ve provided for to deal with citizens who decide to violate our laws.
The criminal justice systems we have are vast, cumbersome, and unbelievably expensive and they are meant to deal with strictly domestic transgressions by citizens, legal residents, or illegals. That is, deal with transgressions of domestic laws exclusive of the ones that govern immigration, lawful or unlawful. Illegals who traffic in drugs, drive drunk, or murder are entitled to the protections of the criminal law regardless of their immigration status. The possible punishments for criminal behavior are severe and we behave accordingly because that’s who we are. Denial of entry or deportation are not in that category of offense and while deportation might entail a measure of inconvenience for illegals already inside the border.
There’s a related concept here we should consider. Those millions of migrants chose to come in over the border, knowing full well that such entry to the United States was contrary to our laws. So it’s simply stupefying that any American citizen would argue that any migrant who has deliberately chosen to ignore our laws should be able to claim the benefit of those laws when he is apprehended and ejected.
Act like an outlaw; don’t beg for the protections of the laws you spurn.
Notes.
<1>Quoted in “Wednesday Potpourri,” by Stuart Schneiderman, Had Enough Therapy, 4/23/25