Some Illegal Immigrants More Appealing Than Others

The Herald reports today on a Brazilian woman arrested in Framingham who apparently agreed to work as a prostitute in order to get to the United States. Bostonist can only give props to the Herald for taking the opportunity to talk a bit about the plight of people caught up in human trafficking operations, but we noticed something interesting about the story: Nowhere did it say, or quote anyone as saying, that the woman should be allowed to stay in this country.

Why is that strange? Because just last week, the Herald reported rather sympathetically the story of a Belgian nanny in Hingham who was arrested for overstaying her student visa, and whose wealthy employers were rallying to her defense and decrying the priorities of immigration enforcement officials. Now, admittedly, the Brazilian woman was arrested by local police, not immigration cops, and is alleged to have committed a crime other than being here illegally. But for all the sympathy out there for women in this position, no one seems to think they should get a pass when it comes to immigration law. Not to ask a question we already know the answer to, but what's up with that?