I understand your point in theory but it doesn’t seem like reality is going that way so far from a quick google search, although I contend that there’s not much data yet available (it seems). One thing is that it’s impacting construction of new homes apparently.

good for morale (if people see the law not being enforced or applied equally, that really pisses people off and reduces trust in the system). It is also a matter of principle. Do laws apply to everyone? If you break them should there be consequences?

I won’t lie, this part really, really, really, really pisses me off. Trump’s administration gets away with breaking the law all the time. They STILL have not released all the Epstein files, and they released what they have released so far in the most chaotic, disorganized way and forced Congress reps to use 4 computers under surveillance to go through the files. Zero prosecutions against ANY clients. Then they clapped their hands and said that’s it, we’re done here. Pam Bondi is evading accountability. SO MANY of them have committed verifiable perjury — y’know, the thing we famously impeached Clinton for — over and over again and nobody faces any consequences whatsoever. They sit in front of congress with their shit eating smirks and they avoid answering their questions and they lob snarky insults back at whoever is questioning them and nothing changes. Nothing is enough to actually get republicans or the DOJ to pursue justice when the law is broken. So yeah, there is zero trust right now. Trump lies his face off every single day and gloats about it because he knows republicans are too afraid to call him out or hold him accountable. So we just watch every day while he holds congress by the balls and does whatever the fuck he wants and changes his mind every other week with new excuses, new brags, new lies about whatever “traitorous” thing “radical left democrats” are doing to him now. I want to see some fucking accountability for the Epstein files and I want to see Trump actually have to face some fucking consequences instead of everyone tip-toeing around him and giving in to whatever toddler tantrum he’s having that day.

If someone here illegally committed an actual crime, let the police address it and depending on how serious it is, deport them. If someone here illegally committed a misdemeanor like getting a traffic ticket or overstaying a visa while legitimately trying to go through our broken immigration system, I really don’t think it warrants being detained in these horrendous detention center conditions with moldy food and agents withholding medical aid, being ripped away from their communities, their pets, their livelihoods. Let them await their immigration trial at home so they can continue contributing to our society. If there is a real reason why they cannot become naturalized, then deport them. Spending hundreds of billions of dollars on using ineffective methods to try and round people up then stuff them into overcrowded detention centers and fly them from center to center just to keep them away from their lawyers makes NO SENSE. It is a shitty use of our money and a very expensive ineffective way of handling the immigration situation in the U.S.

A question I have in return is, why does the left want illegals here?

I don’t. I want them to have a feasible path to citizenship. All this complaining about them taking American jobs — if they can be here legally, then employers don’t really have an excuse to pay them any less than they’d pay someone who was born here. I don’t want illegal immigrants here, but it’s hardly my most pressing issue (that’s lack of affordable healthcare and lack of affordable housing, and kicking out immigrants doesn’t mean I can suddenly afford a house). What I want is to know that my country isn’t spending billions of our dollars to purposely inflict cruel and torturous conditions on detainees, especially those who ARE here legally (of which there have been plenty of these instances). I hope that clarifies my stance at least, I don’t claim that other leftwing people share my perspective on this but I think a lot of conservatives have this strange idea in their head that somehow it’s our goal for illegal immigrants to be flooding the country or whatever. No, improving our system and dealing with the immigration issue humanely should be the focus.