Does the McCain-Kennedy Bill (S-1033) offer amnesty to illegal immigrants? Amnesty is a general pardon offered by the government, especially for political offenses. The bill they are debating in the Senate has several conditions that must be met by the illegal immigrant.
For one thing they have to maintain a job.
They have to learn English.
They have to pay a fine.
A period of six years of steady work will qualify the illegal immigrant for the program.
A second five year period will pass before the illegal immigrant will be allowed to take the citizenship test.
How is this amnesty?
In the findings part of this bill are these two:
• (5) Current immigration laws and the enforcement of such laws are ineffective and do not serve the people of the United States, the national security interests of the United States, or the economic prosperity of the United States.
• (6) The United States cannot effectively carry out its national security policies unless the United States identifies undocumented immigrants and encourages them to come forward and participate legally in the economy of the United States.
If S-1033 effectively addresses enforcement and identifies undocumented immigrants, I say pass it. Y'all know that is what all the fuss has been about for these last few months. People running around the USA without legal documentation. We need to get a handle on the problem.
