The status quo (including lack of enforcement) was good for the country for decades. We look the other way a little to get cheap or highly skilled labor, we get

The status quo (including lack of enforcement) was good for the country for decades. We look the other way a little to get cheap or highly skilled labor, we get to maintain some soft power as the "land of opportunity", we collect a ton of tax money from people who won't won't nearly take out as much and we get a population who, on the whole, commits less crime than the average American. Additionally, politicians get to draw some line in the sand to fight over, but do little about. It has to be dramatic so the administration can scare people into submission and test the waters to see what they can get away. We are failing this test.