How can certain laws in the USA not be enforced even when they are "on the books" and technically enforceable?

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Because to enforce a criminal law you have to dedicate law enforcement resources to it. These resources are finite and so it necessarily takes resources away from other priorities. This basic fact is why we have racial profiling, red light cameras, and outsourcing of law enforcement duties like writing parking tickets.

There’s just not enough police officers out there to do everything, so they have to pick and choose what they enforce. This prioritization is a primarily political process, ultimately it’s the job of our elected officials to decide what goals law enforcement is to work towards.