re: #85 ObserverArt

Did I hear Trump in one of today’s videos call what the immigrants are doing a “federal crime?”

Everyone says it is a misdemeanor…do federal crimes carry a level that is considered a misdemeanor?

I guess what Trump is doing by calling it a federal crime is just to blow it up more and make it sound oh-so-serious.

It’s not a crime, it’s not even a misdemeanor. Illegal entry is a civil infraction, akin to receiving a traffic ticket. This is an important distinction because only criminal court proceedings trigger the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.