Amnesty for undocumented immigrants in the United States

We do not ask for residency or citizenship, we only ask for a work permit with no expiration date, decent treatment, and basic rights. The North American Senate approved the inclusion of an amnesty for the undocumented immigrants in the United States, within a project of Law of immigration that regulates the entrance of foreigners and the conditions to obtain the residence in the country.

Under the terms of the amnesty, supported by the Government, any undocumented person who has lived permanently in the United States since January 1, 1977 will be entitled to permanent resident status. Those who entered the country after January 1, 1980 will obtain temporary resident status, which will become permanent three years later. US citizenship may be obtained after five years with permanent residence. The main promoter of the draft Law on immigration is the Republican Senator Alan Simpson, who considers uncontrolled immigration as "one of the great threats to the future of this nation."

Many of the immigrants flee from certain death, threats, extortion, disappearances, and we see the United States as the older brother. We do not want to take away their work, we are at the end of the line of work, we do the hard and dirty work that many citizens hate. We accept that the Law be imposed on those who owe crimes or come to commit crimes here, that the weight of the Law falls to them, but most of them only want to work, help their families and pay their taxes. God, help us.

Those affected by the amnesty, which official estimates estimate around one million people, will not, however, be able to benefit from social security or other State aid for up to three years after attaining permanent residence.

The bill provides for the establishment of a work access card for all amnestied and harsh penalties for companies that hire undocumented workers. Against this aspect of the Law was expressed the Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy, who considered that these sanctions could involve discrimination against minority groups, especially Hispanics, since there would be the fear of hiring them for fear that they were illegally in the country.

Kennedy said that "it must be extremely prudent to avoid legislation that increases the degree of intolerance and discrimination in our society." The opposition Democrat also opposed the limitation of legal immigration, because it would mean that, "for the first time in the history of the country, immigrant families would be prevented from meeting in the United States." Kennedy was the only one who voted against the project. The project stipulates the annual immigrant limit of 425,000 people and regulates the expansion of the agricultural work program.

In 1980 more than 800,000 immigrants entered the United States, including in this figure the extraordinary admission of 135,000 Cubans, on the famous Mariel bridge, and of the Asians collected on the high seas.

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