Why should it?
What do we do with the any criminal that was not caught and made a life for themselves for 20 years? We punish them.
They made a choice and now they have to live with it. Yes it's harsh, but it's true.
If you failed to pay your taxes for 1 year, 20 years ago, what do you think the IRS would do when they found out?
Illegal immigration as a crime is different from other crimes in that one person who crosses the border may be legal and another may be illegal. With armed robbery, speeding, tax evasion, etc., everyone who does it is illegal
Further for most crimes except murder, have a statute of limitations where if you are not charged with a crime, after so many years, you can not be charged at all.
Yes they chose to come here ILLEGALLY. They came to get jobs, create businesses, buy homes, have families in many cases. We are talking about those of course, not temporary workers and for sure not actual criminals here for no good. I mention this for the benefit of anyone else who may be reading this.
There is no question in my mind that for years our business and government did the old wink, wink nudge, nudge thing when talking about enforcement. Word spread around the world.
This may be a stretch but Section 274 of the Immigration and Nationality Act makes it a federal crime to encourage an illegal alien to reside illegally in the United States including specifically encouragement for the purpose of commercial advantage or financial gain.
In my mind business and government are more to blame for the ILLEGAL immigration than the ILLEGAL immigrants who accepted the "invitation."
IMO like it or not these business and government pukes made a commitment that our Nation is obligated to honor in some form.
I say acknowledge the otherwise law-abiding ILLEGAL immigrants presence in a manner similar to what the courts have established, permanently residing under the color of law (PRUCOL). Announce to the world that the party is over. We will enforce our laws from now on. Use an effective date that will prevent a flood of new party goers.
I still believe that we don't need shiny new laws that will be promptly ignored for the purpose of commercial advantage or financial gain by the same business and government pukes. "Hee, hee, hee. You can't touch me I got friends in high places."