---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Immigration reform is a must, an amnesty…"
description: "\"Immigration reform is a must, an amnesty. So that's my position. I've been pushing that one since before it was popular.\" — Dick Mountjoy"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/dick-mountjoy-59463_amnesty_immigration-reform-is-a-must-an-amnesty_965916.jpg"
---

#  Immigration reform is a must, an amnesty. So that's my…

![“Immigration reform is a must, an amnesty. So that's my position. I've been pushing that one since before it was popular.” quote by Dick Mountjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/dick-mountjoy-59463_amnesty_immigration-reform-is-a-must-an-amnesty_965916.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/dick-mountjoy-59463_amnesty_immigration-reform-is-a-must-an-amnesty_965916.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/dick-mountjoy-59463_amnesty_immigration-reform-is-a-must-an-amnesty_965916.jpg)

> “Immigration reform is a must, an amnesty. So that's my position. I've been pushing that one since before it was popular.”

[Dick Mountjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-mountjoy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Immigration reform and amnesty are essential and have been advocated long before they became popular.

**In simple terms:** Immigration reform needed.

Key Takeaway

Support immigration amnesty.

Themes

immigration policy activism

Mood

political assertive

Type

advocacy persuasive

When to use this quote

- policy advocacy
- community organizing
- legislative lobbying

Key Concepts

human rights legal reform social justice

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the economic impacts of amnesty?
- How can public opinion be shifted?

A Different Perspective

Amnesty can be politically contentious.

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[Amnesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) [Amnesty Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty-position-1821953/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Immigration reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration-reform/) [Must](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/must/) [Popular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Pushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushing/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Reform Amnesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform-amnesty-1821952/) [Since](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/since/)

## Related quotes

> [ This bill \[Immigration Reform and Control act of 1986\] is a gamble, a riverboat gamble. There is no guarantee that employer sanctions will work… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/this-bill-immigration-reform-and-control-act-of-1986-is-a-gamble-a/)

[Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/)

> [Extending amnesty to those who came here illegally or overstayed their visas is dangerous waters...We are a nation of laws, and I will evaluate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/extending-amnesty-to-those-who-came-here-illegally-or-overstayed/)

[Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/)

> [All I can tell you is what I see at home- a lot of lessons learned from '86. That, 'OK, we'll go one-time amnesty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-burgess/all-i-can-tell-you-is-what-i-see-at-home-a-lot-of-lessons-learned/)

[Michael C. Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-burgess/)

> [We know that a ready amnesty tends to be an invitation to more illegal entries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-know-that-a-ready-amnesty-tends-to-be-an-invitation-to-more/)

[Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/)

> [I don't support an amnesty.(Cornyn) demands an ongoing focus on security and workplace enforcement before considering steps to grant legal status, let alone citizenship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cornyn/i-don-t-support-an-amnesty-cornyn-demands-an-ongoing-focus-on/)

[John Cornyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cornyn/)

> [Well, I don't think it is amnesty to start with. Second of all, what do you want to do with them? That is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/well-i-don-t-think-it-is-amnesty-to-start-with-second-of-all-what-do-2/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [Amnesty will not help balance our budget ... In fact, a large-scale amnesty is likely to add trillions of dollars to the debt over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/amnesty-will-not-help-balance-our-budget-in-fact-a-large-scale/)

[Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/)

> [Senator Marco 'amnesty' Rubio, while proponents of immigration reform say the Florida Republican was quick to retreat when the going got tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/senator-marco-amnesty-rubio-while-proponents-of-immigration-reform/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [Well, I don't think it is amnesty to start with. Second of all, what do you want to do with them? That is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/well-i-don-t-think-it-is-amnesty-to-start-with-second-of-all-what-do/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [ I've always said that the 1986 \[Immigration Reform and Control\] Act had a fourth leg \[in addition to law enforcement, increased immigration and amnesty\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/i-ve-always-said-that-the-1986-immigration-reform-and-control-act-had/)

[Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/)

> [American taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill for the overwhelming costs of amnesty. Under current law, once 11 million illegal immigrants receive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-s-smith/american-taxpayers-will-be-forced-to-foot-the-bill-for-the/)

[Lamar S. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-s-smith/)

> [It's amnesty that America can't afford. We have to stop people from coming in illegally. This will be a green light for anyone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barletta/it-s-amnesty-that-america-can-t-afford-we-have-to-stop-people-from/)

[Lou Barletta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barletta/)

> [My mom told me to stay away from gangs. But if you're asking me about immigration reform, it must accomplish two objectives: Border security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-salmon/my-mom-told-me-to-stay-away-from-gangs-but-if-you-re-asking-me-about/)

[Matt Salmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-salmon/)

> [When you take comprehensive, then we're dealing with certain issues like full citizenship ... And whatever else we disagree on, I think we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/when-you-take-comprehensive-then-we-re-dealing-with-certain-issues/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [When politicians talk about immigration reform, they usually mean the following, amnesty, open borders, lower wages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/when-politicians-talk-about-immigration-reform-they-usually-mean-the/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

## More by Dick Mountjoy

> [Rank and file Democrats are very patriotic. They love this country and support the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-mountjoy/rank-and-file-democrats-are-very-patriotic-they-love-this-country-and/)

[Dick Mountjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-mountjoy/)

> [I don't think we need political activists on the Supreme Court or any other level of court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-mountjoy/i-don-t-think-we-need-political-activists-on-the-supreme-court-or-any/)

[Dick Mountjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-mountjoy/)

> [We can't deny the financial toll illegal immigrants take on our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-mountjoy/we-can-t-deny-the-financial-toll-illegal-immigrants-take-on-our/)

[Dick Mountjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-mountjoy/)

> [I'm not a person that just supports an issue; I go out and work for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-mountjoy/i-m-not-a-person-that-just-supports-an-issue-i-go-out-and-work-for-it/)

[Dick Mountjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-mountjoy/)

[Explore all 5 Dick Mountjoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-mountjoy/)

## More Amnesty quotes

> [I am strongly opposed to any form of amnesty, including, especially, executive amnesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/i-am-strongly-opposed-to-any-form-of-amnesty-including-especially/)

[Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/)

> [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/)

[Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/)

> [Hillary Clinton has pledged to keep both of these illegal amnesty programs, including the 2014 amnesty which has been blocked by the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-has-pledged-to-keep-both-of-these-illegal-amnesty/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [3 "amnesty" didn't mean rewarding illegal behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/3-amnesty-didn-t-mean-rewarding-illegal-behavior/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [Why don't Republicans spend all their airtime attacking the media for lying about what Obama's amnesty does and what the Democrats are doing? It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/why-don-t-republicans-spend-all-their-airtime-attacking-the-media-for/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [...we will not grant amnesty to illegal aliens in this Congress or, hopefully ever again. We did that once. Everybody said it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-gramm/we-will-not-grant-amnesty-to-illegal-aliens-in-this-congress-or/)

[Phil Gramm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-gramm/)

> [ I take the Constitution very seriously. The biggest problems that we're facing right now have to do with \[the president\] trying to bring more… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-take-the-constitution-very-seriously-the-biggest-problems-that-we/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I worked 30 years to try to restore respect for the rule of law because of Ronald Reagan's amnesty in 1986. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-king/i-worked-30-years-to-try-to-restore-respect-for-the-rule-of-law/)

[Steve King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-king/)

> [You are going to hear many things from Mr. Trump today in his speech on immigration. One, no amnesty. He is absolutely going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/you-are-going-to-hear-many-things-from-mr-trump-today-in-his-speech/)

[Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/)

> [I supported this bill. I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and who have lived here even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-supported-this-bill-i-believe-in-the-idea-of-amnesty-for-those-who/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Amnesty is a disaster, we need strong borders. We have no country if we have no border. In New Hampshire, the biggest complaint is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/amnesty-is-a-disaster-we-need-strong-borders-we-have-no-country-if-we/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [no study has brought out any solid evidence that the death penalty deters crime. In fact, Amnesty reports that 'the murder rate in states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-bosco/no-study-has-brought-out-any-solid-evidence-that-the-death-penalty/)

[Antoinette Bosco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-bosco/)

> [We try it practically every time it comes up, be it amnesty, be it any other issue they want. We try and it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-try-it-practically-every-time-it-comes-up-be-it-amnesty-be-it-any/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ This bill \[Immigration Reform and Control act of 1986\] is a gamble, a riverboat gamble. There is no guarantee that employer sanctions will work… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/this-bill-immigration-reform-and-control-act-of-1986-is-a-gamble-a/)

[Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/)

> [ No one believed \[the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens\] was tough enough on illegal immigration, and it didn't give enough flexibility on future legal immigration. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/no-one-believed-the-1986-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-was-tough-enough/)

[Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/)

[Browse all 195 Amnesty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/)

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