Clay Waters asserts in a Feb. 9 MRC TimesWatch item that the New York Times is on an “Amnesty-for-Illegals Hobby Horse,” claiming that the DREAM Act “would have granted amnesty to hundreds of thousands of student illegals.”
Wrong. As we’ve detailed, “amnesty” is defined as “a general pardon for offenses, esp. political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction.” The implication is that there are no preconditions before the amnesty is given. Since the DREAM Act would require that “student illegals” enroll in college or serve in the military as a prerequisite for applying for legal permanent residency and, eventually, citizenship — as well as meet certain residency requirements in order to qualify for benefits under the act — it is by definition not amnesty.
Pretending that every proposal to put illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship is “amnesty,” as the MRC is wont to do, is simply factually inaccurate.