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Nothing wrong with a quid-pro-quo when it comes to things that either side is entitled to use as bargaining chips. You get me an airport, I'll help your stadium, we'll build a bridge, I'll pass your law, all that's regular politics.
What's awful about this is that both "I won't obstruct immigration enforcement" and "I will have your criminal indictment dismissed" are both beyond the Overton window of things to be bargained with.
IOW -- there's nothing wrong with trading favors, provided that thing you're doing is actually supposed to be a discretionary thing.
Exactly which part is awful? Keeping in mind the order in which these things have been done.
I'm willing to agree that local jurisdictions actively obstructing enforcement of immigration law is awful. Lots of left-leaning jurisdictions have been doing that for decades though.
Dismissing criminal indictments is pretty bad too. But if it's the only stick they've got that's big enough to get them to stop obstructing immigration enforcement, I can live with it. I don't exactly love it, but if that's where we're at now, well then okay I guess.
The part that's awful is being rewarded for doing awful things or, if you prefer, allowing people that chose to do awful things to be rewarded for stopping it.
Behavior that is rewarded is repeated.
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