[comex]

It does in Rust: assert is always enabled, whereas the debug-only version is called debug_assert.

But yes, “assert” in most languages is debug-only.

[IshKebab]

He said

> some people would expect it to enforce that the pointer is non-null, then proceed

No language magically makes the pointer non-null and then continues. I don't even know what that would mean.

[dataflow]

If you don't even know what that would mean then it's premature to declare that nothing works that way. Understanding the meaning is a prerequisite for that.

In this case, it may help to understand that e.g. border control enforces a traveler's permission to cross the border, then lets them proceed.