From the time he came to the United States as a child, Marcos studied hard while his parents worked long hours. Now he is a top student in his high school class. But he may not be able to go to college because the government won’t give him the same financial aid it gives to other students. There are jobs that he will not be allowed to take, even though he could do the work. And, in the state he lives in, he won’t be allowed to get his driver’s license. Marcos is an undocumented immigrant, someone who doesn’t have papers that prove he has the right to live in the U.S. The laws and programs that help many people in the U.S. exclude Marcos and his family.

Some people say it’s unfair that our laws exclude hardworking people. They think America is a place where everyone should have equal rights. Some want the government to give undocumented immigrants amnesty, so they can become legal immigrants. The U.S. passed a law like this once before. The government under President Reagan passed a law to let immigrants who had been in the U.S. from 1982 to 1986 get legal documents. Some people argue, in particular, that immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children should be given amnesty. Often, these children are not familiar with the country where they were born since they came to the United States at such a young age. They say people shouldn’t be punished for something they had no control over. Many argue that the U.S. should pass a new amnesty law to help people like Marcos and his family.

Other people say that because Marcos’ family broke the law when they entered the country, they should not have the same rights as legal immigrants. These people believe there should not be amnesty for undocumented immigrants. They say we should orient our immigration laws toward protecting those who went through the proper channels, not those who “jumped the line.” As it is, they say, we don’t have enough jobs to go around, or enough money to pay for everyone’s education. They worry that giving amnesty to undocumented immigrants will only compound the problem by encouraging more immigrants to enter the country illegally. 

What do you say? Should there be amnesty for undocumented immigrants?