Illegal Aliens And "Restitution"

There is just too much in this article to distill for you, so I suggest you go read it. Here is a small piece of a fine article.

In the current debate over creating a new path to "legalization" for undocumented immigrants, the notion of "earned citizenship" – as promoted mostly by liberal and centrist politicians – has emerged as the pragmatic way forward.

It appears widely accepted that undocumented immigrants owe something for entering the country illegally, and that the debate on Capitol Hill is around only whether they should be allowed to make restitution.

On the conservative side, politicians and anti-immigration activists argue that anyone in the country illegally should be kicked out immediately, if not charged as a criminal. Meanwhile, liberals say that paying hefty fines and any back taxes should be enough to place some undocumented immigrants on the waiting list for a green card that could eventually lead to citizenship.

But some immigrants-rights groups are challenging the idea that undocumented workers owe a debt to US society and that they should be required to pay to obtain legal status.

The fact is, most illegal immigrants have been paying their own way and may actually have money due them from employers and the federal government.