What is an amnesty? please explain?

[chiram97]

i have to explain this article and i have noooo idea what an amnesty is and how to explain it >>>>>>>>>

(this is talking about pres. Obama's new immigration policy)
This is a knee-jerk response to pro-amnesty interest groups that have attacked Mr. Obama with an intense, well-funded public relations campaign urging him essentially to nullify congressional immigration laws because supporters of amnesty know that the elected representatives of the American people won't approve amnesties any more. Until today, the president had said that he couldn't just overturn immigration laws on his own. His capitulation may provide a short-term political payoff among some special interest groups but in the long term will feed the perception that he is much more interested in currying favor among narrow interest groups than addressing the needs of the massive ranks of the unemployed.

The unavoidable fact is that Mr. Obama's announced executive amnesty will increase the supply of legal workers to compete for jobs with the 20 million Americans who can't find a job or have been forced into part-time work. The president may think he can repeal the laws of Congress but he can't repeal the law of supply and demand.

[PamillaAnderson]

Amnesty is commonly defined as granting legal status to a group of individuals who are unlawfully present in a country. It overlooks the alien's illegal entry and ongoing illegal presence and creates a new legal status that allows the recipient to live and work in the country. Immigrants and advocates who support amnesty are of two minds about the term 'amnesty.' Some say that 'amnesty' means extending LPR [legal permanent residency status] to undocumented immigrants. While others argue that, although they also support granting LPR status to undocumented immigrants, legislators in Congress are unwilling to even begin a conversation if the term 'amnesty' is used.

[hannahjo]

As per the details I gathered from http://www.siskinds.com/ , Amnesty is a legal term that describes the complete abolition of an offense by the state. The legal result is that any charges or convictions are wiped out and forgotten, and those persons who were charged or convicted are then considered innocent.

[lecmelakaa]

an official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offences.


grant an official pardon to.
or you could say A general pardon granted by a government, especially for political offenses. tr.v. am·nes·tied, am·nes·ty·ing, am·nes·ties