FAIR: Mass Illegal Alien Amnesty Meets Einstein's Definition of Insanity
New Report Documents the Failed History of Immigration Amnesties
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Albert Einstein supposedly said that "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." By that definition, President Joe Biden's approach to solving America's long-standing problem of illegal immigration—granting amnesty to some 14.5 million illegal aliens—qualifies as insanity on the grandest possible scale.
As we approach yet another legislative effort to grant amnesty to every illegal alien who was present in the country prior to January 1, 2021 (and allow countless more who were deported during the Trump administration to return), the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has summarized the nation's history of attempting to fix immigration by pardoning those who break our immigration laws. The report, America Last: How the Biden Mass-Amnesty is Worse than Every Other Amnesty Attempt in U.S. History, demonstrates that past amnesties—legislated and de facto—not only failed to solve the problem but actually triggered even larger waves of illegal immigration.
The report takes a hard look at the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), the Reagan-era amnesty that was supposed to put an end to the problem of illegal immigration:
- At the time President Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) in 1986, an estimated 3 million illegal aliens resided in the United States; 35 years later that number is nearly five times higher.
- IRCA was riddled with fraud, so an amnesty five times larger would inevitably result in fraud on an even grander scale.
- Countless promises to the American public to prevent future illegal immigration were never kept. The Biden proposal (unlike amnesty proposals made under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama) does not even promise future enforcement.
In addition to detailing the past failures of amnesty programs, the report also delves into the future costs that the Biden amnesty would impose on American workers and taxpayers. Some 40 million new immigrants are expected to eventually enter the country through chain migration stemming from this amnesty.
The report further examines how legislative efforts—even failed ones like the DREAM Act and the 2013 Gang of Eight bill and de facto amnesties like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)—have exacerbated illegal immigration and put us in the position we are in today, with some 14.5 million illegal aliens living here.
"You don't need to be Albert Einstein to figure out that the massive amnesty the Biden administration is proposing will not produce any results other than those we have seen with past amnesties—only exponentially larger and infinitely more damaging to the national interest," commented Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "Nor do you need to be George Santayana to know that, 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'
"The events of the past 35 years, documented in this report, make it evident that the amnesty plan put forth by the White House falls squarely within Einstein's definition of insanity and Santayana's definition of self-destructive denial of history," Stein concluded.
The full report, America Last: How the Biden Mass-Amnesty is Worse than Every Other Amnesty Attempt in U.S. History, can found here.
Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or [email protected]
ABOUT FAIR
Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.
SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
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