How can they be held accountable?

Well, there’s 8 U.S. Code § 1324 for starters.

Harboring — Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii) makes it an offense for any person who — knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, conceals harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection, such alien in any place, including any building or any means of transportation.

The problem is countless of Americans have been impacted by the presence of illegal aliens; many have had personal property stolen and the physical damages range from varying degrees of injury from drunk drivers, assaults, rapes and murder, yet elected officials wish to protect them over citizens.

In the case of a few states, illegals are being protected by the same elected politicians who’ve been tasked with protecting the public.

It’s not only politicians that make it easy for illegal aliens to freely move and thus avoid apprehension from law enforcement.

There are a myriad of nonprofits who assist illegal aliens in obtaining all kinds of local, state, and federal government benefits ranging from food, cash, legal and housing assistance. They are essentially aiding and abetting illegal activities but under the umbrella of their nonprofit status, also receive tax benefits and protections while sheltering those who’ve broken at least one federal law, if not more.

Politicians and activists who support them should not be above the law and imagine how these politicians might uphold their sworn duties if they faced the ramification of their actions and were held responsible for the lives affected and/or lost.

Penalties — The basic statutory maximum penalty for violating 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(i) and (v)(I) (alien smuggling and conspiracy) is a fine under title 18, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both. In addition, significant enhanced penalties are provided for in violations of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1) involving serious bodily injury or placing life in jeopardy. Moreover, if the violation results in the death of any person, the defendant may be punished by death or by imprisonment for any term of years.

Think about the thousands of Americans who’d be here today had those who took the oath to uphold our laws, done their jobs in the first place and had been appropriately punished when they blew off our laws for self-serving political motivations.

UPDATE

If not for the obvious agenda and indifference to the safety of the American people, the following could not be said with a straight face.

“They are not criminals,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) said of migrants who cross without authorization. “They haven’t committed a crime against someone, and they are not acting violently or in a way that’s harmful to people. And I would argue they are not harming people indirectly either.”

“If you call them criminals, it’s a lot easier to get people to turn against them than if you call them undocumented immigrants,” Becerra said.
— Huffington Post, 4/3/19

Nah, they don’t harm anyone after they get here either. Just don’t read news reports daily.

UPDATE

As is often the case, irony rears its ugly head. California legislators have told ICE to butt out and leave illegals alone… that is until they got their way and now have to assume the costs.

San Diego County is suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over the rising cost of asylum seekers. The Southern California county filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the heads of the agencies within the department, claiming the county has suffered from the release of asylum-seeking migrants.

Many illegal immigrants can not be immediately deported and must be allowed to stay in the country to wait out their court case, because of loopholes in immigration law.

“Loopholes”…? Try judges, lawmakers, immigration lawyers and nonprofits who advocate for illegals over US Immigration law.

Due to limited funds and housing resources, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were forced to stop implementing their “safe release” policy last fall, which provided asylum seekers assistance to reach destinations outside of San Diego. The county is now left to front the bill for the upkeep of migrant shelters and medical care, which is estimated to cost millions of dollars.

This lawsuit is a dramatic shift for San Diego as supervisors last April voted to back the Trump administration’s lawsuit challenging California sanctuary laws.
— One America News Network, 4/4/19

Maybe if Sacramento Democrats weren’t so welcoming of illegal aliens, the rest of the state wouldn’t find themselves in the dire situation they (and the nation) now find themselves in.

UPDATE

While the left insists the United States is a better place because of “undocumented immigrants”, reality is another thing….

There has been a 50 percent jump in illegal immigrant gang members coming into the United States this year, according to the former Border Patrol chief.

What’s more, he warned in Senate testimony Thursday, loopholes in federal law will result in some 650,000 illegal immigrants — more than the population of Wyoming — being released into the United States, where most will “never to be heard from again.”

According to Mark Morgan, the chief of the U.S. Border Patrol from 2016-2017, the border situation is at a crisis point.
— Washington Examiner, 4/4/19

NIMBY UPDATE

Democrats care for the undocumented and have created “sanctuary” designations for some of their cities and states, but all hell broke loose when President Trump stated that he’s considering diverting the overflow of illegal aliens to their municipalities.

Trump: Let’s see if sanctuary cities have open arms

The response of liberal Democrat horror was predictable.

Trump’s plan to send migrant detainees to sanctuary cities draws concerns about cost, legality

They didn’t care much about the cost when the American taxpayer was left footing the bill for people who have no legal right to be here.

Trump proposal for ‘sanctuary cities’ infuriates Dems

Why “furious”? Just a couple of days ago, they welcomed the illegals.

Trump threatens to dump immigrants into California’s ‘sanctuary cities’
Trump Threatens To Send Detained Immigrants To ‘Sanctuary Cities
Trump’s ‘sanctuary city’ tweets draws angry reaction in Seattle, Burien

Oh, NOW they’re concerned about “public safety”….

Trump’s Sanctuary-Cities Threat Is His Latest Bid to Govern by Sabotage

Sabotage? What do you call the two-plus year Mueller probe of a candidate and president of a crime that never happened? The same people who assault the political opposition in restaurants, in front of the homes, etc. are now lamenting “bully” tactics? Puh-leez.

U.S. mayors decry Trump sanctuary city threat, ‘prepared to welcome’ migrants

They say that now….

Portland Mayor: Trump’s Threat to Bus Immigrants to Sanctuary Cities Is “Unconscionable”

It sounds so “unconscionable” and heartless when they intentionally leave out the word “illegal”.

Also unconscionable are the hundreds of people whose lives have been directly and negatively affected by those who the federal, state and local politicians decided not to protect the public from.

As Americans, we should only care about three things: (1) are the immigrants in the U.S. illegally; (2) have they committed violent crimes predominantly against U.S. citizens; and (3) had these criminals not been in our country illegally, these crimes, the victimization of our citizens and the costs of their crimes borne by American taxpayers could have been completely avoided.

Research conducted by the federal government oversight organization Judicial Watch in 2014 documents that 50 percent of all federal crimes were committed near our border with Mexico.

The pro-illegal immigrant lobby consistently misrepresents the criminal involvement of illegal immigrants as compared to immigrants who legally enter the U.S. and American citizens, saying that illegal immigrants commit less crimes than their counterparts.

According to the FBI, 67,642 murders were committed in the U.S. from 2005 through 2008, and 115,717 from 2003 through 2009. The General Accounting Office documents that criminal immigrants committed 25,064 of these murders.

Illegal immigrants clearly commit a level of violent and drug related crimes disproportionate to their population.
— Ron Martinelli, retired San Jose (CA) police detective

While they live in protected homes, workplaces and some even have round-the-clock armed security, they left the public at risk from those whose very first act in the United States was a violation of federal law.

But if any one of us wanted to immigrate to one of our neighbors south of our border, what would be required to enter legally?

MEXICO

To apply for and be granted a permanent resident visa, the applicants must:

— have certain close family connections in Mexico, or

— apply for retirement status and prove they have sufficient monthly income (or substantial assets) to support themselves, or

— have 4 consecutive years of regular status as Temporary Resident, or

— have 2 consecutive years of regular status as Temporary Resident where that Temporary Visa was issued through marriage to a Mexican National or a foreign permanent resident, or

— meet a minimum score under the Points System*, or

— be granted residency on humanitarian grounds or through political asylum.

How many Mexicans come into the United States and have enough money to support themselves of meet any of the “status” requirements?

When you want to acquire permanent residency but DO NOT want to work in Mexico:

If you have a regular source of income from abroad (e.g. investments, savings, pension, etc.) then a Permanent Resident Visa will be the most straightforward route. By law, you need to prove that you have sufficient funds or investments to sustain yourself, and the income criteria has been tightened up under the new laws which came into effect in 2012.

Obviously, not many at all.

How you go about applying for your visa will depend on your circumstances, how much Spanish you speak, and how much time you have to deal with the bureaucracy involved in the application process.

In the United States, the American taxpayer or advocacy nonprofits take care of any inconvenient language barriers encountered.

According to the left’s ethnocentric advocacy groups, entering the United States is a human right. But when you observe the expectations Mexico imposes on anyone entering, their reasoning is logical.

Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican society

— Foreigners are admitted into Mexico “according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress.” (Article 32)

Anyone living in a border state knows how few Mexican immigrants have any intention of assimilating into American society, thus aside from physical labor jobs and restaurant cuisine, they have little possibility of contributing anything of value to “national progress”. In fact, too many want America to be like Mexico.

— Immigration officials must “ensure” that “immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance” and for their dependents. (Article 34)

All one need do is go into any American welfare office and see the amount of Mexicans, especially women with children and elderly seeking monetary, food, and housing benefits; it’s obvious how few arrived with any “necessary funds for their sustenance”

— Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets “the equilibrium of the national demographics,” when foreigners are deemed detrimental to “economic or national interests,” when they do not behave like good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican laws, and when “they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy.” (Article 37)

Thanks to the Democrat Party, illegal Mexicans are being welcomed into the United States with the hope that some will assimilate just enough to become Democrat voters, which artificially upsets “the equilibrium of the national demographics” and also affects Congressional representation in affected districts.

Judging from the high levels of crime committed by illegal aliens from Mexico, they are detrimental “when they do not behave like good citizens… broken laws”. And judging from the levels of diseases recently reintroduced into American society after the influx of “undocumented immigration children”, many entering are not physically healthy which has resulted in yet another negative effect on the American population.

— The Secretary of Governance may “suspend or prohibit the admission of foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest.” (Article 38)

President Trump is trying to do what our politicians have failed to do for decades and look what’s being said about him and those in his administration.

Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the country:

— A National Population Registry keeps track of “every single individual who comprises the population of the country,” and verifies each individual’s identity. (Articles 85 and 86)

— A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants (Article 87), and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number (Article 91).

We really have NO idea how many illegals are in the United States.

Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants. (Article 73)

In the United States, many state and local municipality are actively working against our immigration enforcement agency, some even going as far as declaring “sanctuary” areas where illegals are told they will not be detained by local law enforcement or handed over to ICE for deportation proceedings.

Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be imprisoned:

— Foreigners with fake immigration papers may be fined or imprisoned. (Article 116)

— Foreigners who sign government documents “with a signature that is false or different from that which he normally uses” are subject to fine and imprisonment. (Article 116)

In order to function in the United States, one must have a driver’s license or identification card, a birth certificate, and a Social Security card. While illegals can purchase all of these and in some American entities, asking to inspect one or all of these can be considered a form of racial discrimination.

Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined, deported, and/or imprisoned as felons:

— Foreigners who fail to obey a deportation order are to be punished. (Article 117)

— Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the country without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. (Article 118)

— Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison (Articles 119, 120 and 121). Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico — such as working with out a permit — can also be imprisoned.

Just want would illegal immigration into the United States look like if we enforced our laws like the Mexicans enforce theirs?

Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony. The General Law on Population says:

— “A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to five thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally.” (Article 123)

— Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico instead of being imprisoned. (Article 125)

— Foreigners who “attempt against national sovereignty or security” will be deported. (Article 126)

— Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law.

We’ve yet to see protests by illegal immigrant advocacy groups in Mexico protesting on the behalf of violators against their draconian, inhumane requirements.

A Mexican who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner live in the country is subject to up to five years in prison. (Article 127)

Well, that’s just plain mean and would be considered discriminatory against almost every ugly male in the United States.

And soon, very soon — after the victory of our movement — we will defend all the migrants in the American continent and all the migrants in the world must leave their towns and find a life in the United States.
— Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexican presidential candidate

Of course, thanks to the Democrat Party and American left, Mexicans assume we want their uneducated poor.

If more who politically advocate for illegals entering or currently in the United States knew how lax our requirements (when observed), expectations, and enforcement is compared to Mexico, the discussion would be a whole lot different… which is why they NEVER bring it up.

Not like a $120 million revenue shortfall would stop a government body from trying to force taxpayers to pay more to support liberal nonprofits that aid illegal aliens….

Dozens signed up to speak and seats were hard to find at a hearing on Tuesday night for a plan to set aside $373,000 in legal aid money for low income Montgomery County immigrants facing deportation. Claudia Cubas with the CAIR Coalition described the people she sees in detention centers where immigrants facing deportation proceedings are held.

No vote has been scheduled on the plan yet, but County Council President Hans Reimer said a date would be set soon.
— WTOP, 5/2/18

Liberal Democrats speaking appeared to have trouble accepting the concept of “illegal” being “criminal”.

Only adding to the drama at the May 1st public hearing was Reimer’s astonishing statement, “Being undocumented is not a crime. That is not a criminal violation.” Then again, coming from an Obama administration refugee that managed to continue to leech off the taxpayer for his livelihood, that was not all that surprising.

Before serving on the County Council, Hans established a record as an innovator in political engagement. He served as National Youth Vote Director for the historic Obama for America campaign in 2007, and previously as political director for Rock the Vote, where he helped register nearly a million voters. Hans also served as a senior advisor at AARP and, since his earliest work in Washington, has been a national leader on protecting Social Security from Republican efforts to privatize the program.
— Montgomery County website

Given the sensitive nature and visceral response the illegal immigration invokes, granting the public an opportunity to give their input on diverting public money to defend “low income” illegals against deportation could be a political ploy to shield a coming decision to divert money to liberal nonprofits like the “Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition” and Indivisible in the name of “civil rights”.

WE KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER by working with and for the immigrant men, women, and children facing detention and deportation. Our services include legal representation, educational outreach, impact and advocacy work, and the training of attorneys who defend immigrants in the immigration and criminal justice arenas.

They just need money to pay their salaries.

Against the wishes of many of their residents, Montgomery County is a self-declared “sanctuary jurisdiction” currently at odds with the Trump Administration’s stance against illegal immigrants.

Council President Hans Riemer was arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol by U.S. Capitol Police yesterday, after refusing an order to disperse following an immigration rally. “I was arrested today,” Riemer wrote on Facebook last evening. Riemer has promised to introduce legislation to declare Montgomery County officially a “sanctuary county” for illegal immigrants, according to Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de Maryland.
— Rockville Nights, 12/7/17

Using taxpayer money to defend those who should never have been in the United States in the first place is a blatant middle finger to the President and those who voted him into office to redress an issue that negatively affects all too many Americans on a daily basis.