“Being in this country without proper documentation is not a crime,” Christie told more than 60 residents and town officials. “The whole phrase of ‘illegal immigrant’ connotes that the person, by just being here, is committing a crime.”
Being undocumented may be a civil wrong, but it’s not a criminal act, Christie said.
“Don’t let people make you believe that that’s a crime that the U.S. Attorney’s Office should be doing something about,” he added of entering the country illegally. “It is not."
That's true. The legal term for that is "Illegal Presence." It is not a felony or even a misdemeanor so a person cannot by tried, convicted and jailed for being here without authorization from immigration authorities. It is, however, a violation of civil immigration laws, for which the federal government can impose civil penalties, namely deportation. The act of entering the country illegally is a violation of Title 8, Chapter 12, Subchapter II, Part VIII, § 1325 and is known as "Improper Entry by an Alien." That can lead to criminal charges and jail time; six months for the first offense and 18 months for subsequent offenses. Plus a fine.
What you are taking Christie to task for is being concise. Not twisting or distorting or out-and-out lying about something in order to fit an agenda, as Lost Causers do. Nothing in his statement is wrong, or can be taken to mean he's pro-illegal immigration. Except by people like you that is.