Selective law enforcement

U.S. Crackdown Sets Off Unusual Rush to Canada

By SUSAN SACHS

[]BURLINGTON, Vt., Feb. 21 — Once Jalil Mirza decided to leave the United States to avoid possible deportation, nothing happened quite as he expected, not even good-bye.
As did hundreds of other Pakistanis fleeing a post-9/11 crackdown on illegal immigrants, Mr. Mirza quit his job, packed up his possessions and headed north rather than face a forced return to Pakistan.
After a 16-hour bus ride from Virginia with his wife and seven children, he arrived at the Canadian border, hoping to take advantage of Canada's political asylum law.
But besieged Canadian officials told him to come back in two weeks. And when he dragged their suitcases back to the American side, United States immigration agents promptly arrested him and his two teenage sons, leaving the rest of the family wailing in despair in the icy cold.




I read this article with mixed emotions. Legally these people have committed and illegal act and are in violation of the law. They had been however aided and abetted by the US government whose lax law enforcement had allowed them and the many millions of illegal aliens to remain in the US. Many of those fleeing are hard working, at this point I will call the Americans whose children are American citizens by virtue of being born in the US. They have developed strong ties within the US.
Is it time for the US to revisit their rules and add a little humanity?
I should note that if it is a question of law breaking than the millions of illegal aliens in the US no matter where they are from should also be registering and facing deportation. Comments?

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/25/national/25DETA.html?th