Question of compliance

Obama's plan would simply reduce the amount of time immigrants must stay out of the country and away from their families while applying for residency. They still have to follow the process. It’s just that waiting three to ten years creates a hardship for everyone involved. Many chose to remain in the country illegally and forego the process entirely, which is contributing to the immigration problem. Republican representative Lamar Smith doesn’t see it that way. He accuses Obama of “..bending the rules and granting backdoor amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.” This is a red herring. They still have to follow the process. Obama is just making it less painful and more likely that they’ll comply, which would actually reduce the need for amnesty. It’s human nature to avoid pain. Or perhaps Lamar Smith doesn’t agree with that. He believes pain is necessary to ensure compliance, in which case he’s out of touch with people who suffer. I believe this makes him a follower of the Milgram protocol where willingness to administer pain becomes easier with distance and unfamiliarity [ link ].