The Trump Administration announced on September 5 that it was rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) administrative amnesty program, with a six-month wind-down period. DACA provided almost 800,000 illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as minors (through the age of 15) with renewable protection from deportation and a pseudo-legal status that allowed the recipient to receive government benefits, such as work authorization and a social security number.

Amnesty proposals that incentivize more illegal immigration and do not solve the fundamental problems with the U.S. immigration system must be rejected.

Congress is considering legislation that would provide amnesty to those brought illegally to the U.S. as minors, including those who may not have been eligible for the DACA program. One such example is the Solution for Undocumented Children through Careers, Employment, Education, and Defending Our Nation (SUCCEED) Act introduced by Senators James Lankford (R–OK), Tom Tillis (R–NC), and Orrin Hatch (R–UT).

Such legislative efforts are fundamentally flawed and will encourage more illegal immigration. Rather than implementing amnesty, Congress should focus on a step-by-step process to enhance immigration enforcement and improve the legal immigration system.

Read the full article on amnesty policies for illegal immigrants by David Inserra at The Heritage Foundation