ODD though it may seem to those following the debate on “comprehensive immigration reform,” the most important element in the Senate bill is not whether it amounts to an amnesty for illegal immigrants. More important provisions are the number of immigrants it would admit in the future, the fiscal costs of admitting them and of legalizing the illegals already here, its effect on partisan politics, and much else. If these were the issues grabbing the headlines, the bill would be seen for what it is: a large, costly, and damaging assault on the American taxpayer and the U.S. political system.
Still, everyone wants to discuss amnesty-so let’s get it out of the way. Here is a textbook definition of “amnesty” from no less an authority than a former U.S. attorney general, Edwin Meese III:
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