re: #46 Ojoe

There has been a de facto “look the other way” policy for a decade or more:

The Democrats look the other way because they think the illegals will become Democratic voters;

That’s awfully cynical. If anything, I’d say they don’t want to offend their Hispanic base so they don’t make it a big issue.

The Republicans look the other way because the illegals work for cheap, and keep the wages of others down as well.

That one’s a bit more believable. Still, it is (and has been) somewhat enforced. People can’t just waltz across the border. I think it just hasn’t been that big of a deal, so it hasn’t been given that much attention. Even now, I suspect it’s more about politics and perception.