Immigration "reform" will be perceived as amnesty

One of the standard games that president Bush, members of his administration, the presidential candidates, and other politicians play is to claim that "comprehensive immigration reform" is not amnesty. They then go on to define amnesty as immediate citizenship or similar and say that because their scheme involves fines and the like it isn't amnesty.

Of course, what they consistently fail to note is that millions and millions around the world would perceive any form of legalization, "regularization", "adjustment of status", or whatever other term you want to use as amnesty.

In this post I'll try to collect data points helping illustrate that point.

* "2 Va. counties OK immigration crackdown"/Sarah Karush/Associated Press/August 25, 2007/link

For Martinez - who has lived in Manassas, in Prince William County, for two years - the resentment against illegal immigrants came as a surprise. "It broke my heart," the 41-year-old Mexico City native said of the [Prop 200/Prop 187-style] measure. "We were all thinking there would be an amnesty" declared by the federal government.

(Note of course the AP claim that the measure was enacted because of "resentment").

Immigration2007b · Sat, 08/25/2007 - 10:14 · · Importance: 1