--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...you're never going to have a legal…" description: "\"...you're never going to have a legal immigration system that works if you grant amnesty.\" — Marco Rubio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immig_905828.png" --- # ...you're never going to have a legal immigration system… ![“...you're never going to have a legal immigration system that works if you grant amnesty.” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immig_905828.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immig_905828.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immig_905828.png) > “...you're never going to have a legal immigration system that works if you grant amnesty.” [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. Immigration reform fails without addressing illegal entry and enforcement. **In simple terms:** Legal immigration needs strict enforcement. Key Takeaway Balance compassion with law. Themes immigration policy law enforcement Mood analytical controversial Type political policy When to use this quote - policy debates - community integration - legal pathways - enforcement strategies Key Concepts amnesty border security legislation Questions to Reflect On - What are humane alternatives to amnesty? - How can policy balance security and compassion? A Different Perspective Complexity of humanitarian concerns may conflict with strict policies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amnesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) [Grant Amnesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grant-amnesty-1169566/) [Grants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grants/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Immigration Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration-works-1244411/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Legal immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legal-immigration/) ## Related quotes > [...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/) > [ 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/) > [ 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/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I support legal immigration. I don't support amnesty because it is not fair to people standing in line at consulates around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-wilson/i-support-legal-immigration-i-don-t-support-amnesty-because-it-is-not/) [Heather Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-wilson/) > [We for sure need to secure the border. I think we need to enforce the legal system. I'm not for amnesty, I'm not an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-walker/we-for-sure-need-to-secure-the-border-i-think-we-need-to-enforce-the/) [Scott Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-walker/) > [Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African-American and Latino workers. We are going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/decades-of-record-immigration-have-produced-lower-wages-and-higher/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [We have to ensure that our immigration system works in the interests of Britain, enabling us to make a realistic promise to our young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-duncan-smith/we-have-to-ensure-that-our-immigration-system-works-in-the-interests/) [Iain Duncan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-duncan-smith/) > [The U.K. government has been clear that it wants to use the opportunity of leaving the E.U. to design a future immigration system that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/the-u-k-government-has-been-clear-that-it-wants-to-use-the/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [We should be the pro-legal immigration party. A party that has a positive platform and agenda on how we can create a legal immigration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/we-should-be-the-pro-legal-immigration-party-a-party-that-has-a/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [ISIS is a radical jihadist group that is increasingly sophisticated in its ability, for example, to radicalize American citizens, in its inability to exploit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/isis-is-a-radical-jihadist-group-that-is-increasingly-sophisticated/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [It's impossible to walk a block in Miami, in Los Angeles, San Antonio without running into someone who is being deeply impacted by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/it-s-impossible-to-walk-a-block-in-miami-in-los-angeles-san-antonio/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Legal immigration is good for America, if it's controlled and structured via the legal process, of course. But the problem is the system we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/legal-immigration-is-good-for-america-if-it-s-controlled-and/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I think the immigration system we have now is terrible for the United States of America. We have a legal immigration system that does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-think-the-immigration-system-we-have-now-is-terrible-for-the-united/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Even if we didn't have a single person in the USA in violation of immigration laws, we'd still have to do immigration reform, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/even-if-we-didn-t-have-a-single-person-in-the-usa-in-violation-of/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Imagine a legal immigration system that welcomes and celebrates those who come to achieve the American dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/imagine-a-legal-immigration-system-that-welcomes-and-celebrates-those/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) ## 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/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The president we have today is a typical Washington politician that's prone to hyperbole and decisiveness and false outrage. And I think it's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-president-we-have-today-is-a-typical-washington-politician-that-s/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My first job paid well for a young attorney. I was making over $50,000, which was more than either of my parents had ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-first-job-paid-well-for-a-young-attorney-i-was-making-over-50-000/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My dad was a bartender. My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-my-mom-was-a-cashier-a-maid-and-a-stock-clerk/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Now, look, it's true, Americans do want leaders that will come to Washington, D.C. and work together to get things done, but that comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/now-look-it-s-true-americans-do-want-leaders-that-will-come-to/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I have been an underdog my whole life, both in life and in politics. We're going to do well. We're going to pick up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-have-been-an-underdog-my-whole-life-both-in-life-and-in-politics-we/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Certainly being governor is an important job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/certainly-being-governor-is-an-important-job/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The conservative movement is about government playing its important yet limited role, and about not falling into the trap of believing that every problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-conservative-movement-is-about-government-playing-its-important/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The greatest thing that we can do for the world is be America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-greatest-thing-that-we-can-do-for-the-world-is-be-america/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Our people want jobs. They don't want a safety net as a way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/our-people-want-jobs-they-don-t-want-a-safety-net-as-a-way-of-life/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. Whether they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-that-every-single-human-being-is-entitled-to-the-protection/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I don't measure success by how many buildings have my name on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-don-t-measure-success-by-how-many-buildings-have-my-name-on-it/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Any time you can degrade or take away the top leadership of an organization, it's a positive step forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/any-time-you-can-degrade-or-take-away-the-top-leadership-of-an/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) [Explore all 649 Marco Rubio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) ## 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/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "...you're never going to have a legal immigration system that works if you grant amnesty.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marco Rubio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immigration-system-that-works-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amnesty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immigration-system-that-works-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immig_905828.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immig_905828.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/marco-rubio-355_amnesty_you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immig_905828.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...you're never going to have a legal immigration system that works if you grant amnesty.” — Marco Rubio", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marco Rubio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "...you're never going to have a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immigration-system-that-works-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/you-re-never-going-to-have-a-legal-immigration-system-that-works-if/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```