Mala in se vs. mala prohibita.
I don't think it's all that debatable to say that deceiving people is categorically wrong, nor is it to say that it's immoral not to follow the laws of the land -- both are obviously untrue as absolute statements.
For extreme examples, would it be immoral to lie to the Gestapo about harboring Jews? Were people illegally helping slaves escape the American South being immoral?
> would it be immoral to lie to the Gestapo about harboring Jews?
This is something that first/second year philosophy students do debate.
Minnosoteans are currently hiding, feeding, and supplying undocumented community members.
They are not debating it.
You are completely missing the point of the categorical imperative. There are no exceptions, no loopholes, no utilitarian calculus.
> For extreme examples, would it be immoral to lie to the Gestapo about harboring Jews? Were people illegally helping slaves escape the American South being immoral?
If you believe in that categorical imperative, then yes. I’m not saying I believe in it or that Kantian philosophy is the only correct one. There are endless belief systems and philosophical schools of thought that can be used to answer that question, and they will have different answers for different reasons.