I feel like basically everything about immigration law seems to go against the spirit of the law in that sense. E.g., one of the most common ways to get a work

I feel like basically everything about immigration law seems to go against the spirit of the law in that sense. E.g., one of the most common ways to get a work permit in the US is to do a university degree, then you get to work for one year ("OPT"), during which your employer can apply for an H1B visa for you. But the literal meaning of OPT is "optional practical training", and your job is referred to as "practical training" in all documents. Of course it's nothing of the sort, it's just a job. For me, coming from a foreign country, this seems super dodgy and against the spirit of the law. But it's completely standard and above-the-board.