The Case for Amnesty

This article argues that the U.S. government's right to deport people who have entered the country illegally decreases the longer they have been in the country. The author cites examples of people who arrived in the U.S. as children and grew up in the country, knowing no other home. He raises the example of immigrants married to U.S. citizens as well. He points out that being a member of society has elements other than citizenship, such as family ties, employment and homeownership. Over time, he says, the circumstances of entry into the country decrease in importance as other factors arise. Also discussed are various ways in which the state is covertly complicit in encouraging illegal immigration.