You're exactly right. Before we pop the champagne corks, we should take pause at the more insidious trend this reflects: the pushing off of governmental responsibilities onto private citizens. This is happening more and more, mostly to property owners. Whether it's requiring apartment complex owners to hire private security guards, or to screen for illegal aliens, or to improve property appearances beyond what the economics of an area normally provide for, it is a disturbing phenomenon. Don't like a situation? Just make it illegal! This is not a good thing. You are basically criminalizing property ownership. How, exactly, does an apartment owner screen for illegals? By asking hispanic people to show proof of citizenship? Is the city council going to pay for their attorneys fees when they're sued in federal court for housing discrimination? Just because a city council declares somthing mandatory, doesn't mean that has any binding force on any greater jurisdictional authority. Property owners--who conservatives should be protecting--are being victimized here. Build the fence. Deport illegals. But don't criminalize the conduct of private citizens in a free society because of the failure of or lack of any policy to control the problem at its source.
I'm all in favor of that. Privatize the enforcement. Give police powers, similar to reserve officers, to allow volunteer citizens to monitor businesses that hire illegals.
Ditto landlords and Harry Homeowner.
Hello BIG GOVERNMENT