---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Amnesty is the forgiveness of something…"
description: "\"Amnesty is the forgiveness of something. Amnesty is anything that says, 'Do it illegally, it will be cheaper and easier.'\" — Marco Rubio"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_amnesty-is-the-forgiveness-of-something_1521468.png"
---

#  Amnesty is the forgiveness of something. Amnesty is…

![“Amnesty is the forgiveness of something. Amnesty is anything that says, 'Do it illegally, it will be cheaper and easier.'” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_amnesty-is-the-forgiveness-of-something_1521468.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_amnesty-is-the-forgiveness-of-something_1521468.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_amnesty-is-the-forgiveness-of-something_1521468.png)

> “Amnesty is the forgiveness of something. Amnesty is anything that says, 'Do it illegally, it will be cheaper and easier.'”

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

## About This Quote

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

Amnesty encourages illegal behavior by offering cheap, easy shortcuts, undermining law and order; it is a pragmatic but morally problematic solution.

**In simple terms:** Amnesty makes lawbreaking easier.

Key Takeaway

Avoid policies that reward illegal actions.

Themes

immigration law policy ethics

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political ethical

When to use this quote

- policy debate
- legal reform
- public discourse

Key Concepts

legalism pragmatism human rights

Questions to Reflect On

- What alternatives balance enforcement and compassion?
- How do you view the trade‑off between legality and mercy?

A Different Perspective

Amnesty may overlook humanitarian concerns.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Amnesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/)

## Related quotes

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

> [Amnesty is the magnet. Other magnets that you mentioned are anchor babies who get benefits in this country and employer deductions for employees, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-goode/amnesty-is-the-magnet-other-magnets-that-you-mentioned-are-anchor/)

[Virgil Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-goode/)

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[Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/)

> [There are going to be stories of very young kids that were brought to this country at a very young age who don't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/there-are-going-to-be-stories-of-very-young-kids-that-were-brought-to/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [ Ted \[Cruz\], you support legalizing people who are in this country illegally. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/ted-cruz-you-support-legalizing-people-who-are-in-this-country-2/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [I would vote against anything that grants amnesty because I think it destroys your ability to enforce the existing law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-would-vote-against-anything-that-grants-amnesty-because-i-think-it/)

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> [ No. 1, it \[amnesty for illegal aliens\] demoralizes the people that are going through the legal process. It's a very clear signal that why… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/no-1-it-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-demoralizes-the-people-that-are/)

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> [...you're never going to have a legal immigration system that works if you grant amnesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immigration-system-that-works-if/)

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> [No effort for autonomy or self-rule can succeed if it is approached illegally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haider-al-abadi/no-effort-for-autonomy-or-self-rule-can-succeed-if-it-is-approached/)

[Haider al-Abadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haider-al-abadi/)

> [Prostitution is criminal, and bad things happen because it's run illegally by dirt-bags who are criminals. If it's legal, then the girls could have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/prostitution-is-criminal-and-bad-things-happen-because-it-s-run/)

[Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/)

> [The people who illegally cross into the country are from countries that have very close ties to al Qaeda, whether it's Yemen or Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/the-people-who-illegally-cross-into-the-country-are-from-countries/)

[Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/)

> [We know in New York we have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-know-in-new-york-we-have-several-million-at-any-one-time-who-are/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

## More by Marco Rubio

> [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/)

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[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

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[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

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## 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/)

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> [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/)

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[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/)

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[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/)

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