It is an all-too-familiar trope in the endless immigration wars: Those who enter or remain in the United States from a foreign country must comply with our laws; if not, they must be administratively deported or, depending on the circumstances, face criminal sanctions. Regularizing such persons by means of immigration reform legislation has been criticized as “amnesty” and an encouragement to overstay visas or enter without authorization. Those who have obtained citizenship or other resident status take offense at amnesty recipients “jumping the line.” Amnesty has been used most recently as a basis to criticize (and end) the DACA program by which persons brought to this country at a young age by their parents, during a limited period of time, could apply for and receive work and resident status during good conduct, military service, education or other conditions.

Efforts by current and past administrations to tighten immigration also are justified by the need to enforce existing immigration law. The basic premise is unassailable.