> citing an obscure provision of a 1996 immigration law

There’s nothing “obscure” about it. The civil penalties come from Clinton’s signature 1996 immigration bill. Here’s Clinton’s signing statement: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-signing-...

> This bill, however, does more than fund major portions of the Government for the next fiscal year. It also includes landmark immigration reform legislation that builds on our progress of the last 3 years. It strengthens the rule of law by cracking down on illegal immigration at the border, in the workplace, and in the criminal justice system—without punishing those living in the United States legally.

Bill Clinton pushed and signed a bunch of very strong immigration laws: https://clintonwhitehouse1.archives.gov/White_House/Publicat.... For example, he’s also the reason illegal immigrants aren’t eligible for welfare benefits. George Bush simply never enforced most of them because he was too busy creating refugee crises in the middle east and big business wanted cheap illegal labor.

https://archive.ph/aKBFQ

It seems that the goals here are to 1. put money into pockets of "business" owners friendly to the regime 2. squander more public resources on culture war bullshit 3. further feed and exercise the burgeoning government-surveillance-industrial complex.

Jesus Christ. This administration has no shame.