Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies highlights one the most important aspects of the aggressive enforcement of immigration laws: perception is reality. Whether or not a law is enforced to the hilt is not always as important as the publicity that it receives:

Be all that as it may, I think the biggest impact of the new law won’t actually be in its implementation; rather, the hyperbolic fear-mongering by the bill’s opponents will actually amplify its effect far beyond anything the sponsors could have wished for…. But if the thing had been passed and signed with little fuss, it wouldn’t have half the attrition effect it’s going to have. So my advice to the open-borders folks: Fear-monger away!

Activists Amplify Arizona Act, Accelerating Attrition Aftermath | Center for Immigration Studies