The act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals.
Let’s say you are a criminal and you are convicted of a crime and go to prison. Prison is the punishment for the crime. The only way to get out of prison, assuming you are not there for life, is to a) complete your sentence or b) receieve a pardon.
If the crime is crossing the border illegally, can there be an amnesty without a punishment? Surely yes. However, what if there is a punishment and that punishment happens to be a $2000 fine, you have to learn english, and you have to wait up to 10 years before you can become a citizen? You have a crime and you have a punishment after which you can then become an American citizen. An amnesty, or pardon, in this situation would be to waive the punishments and allow immediate citizenship.
So what everyone is REALLY pissed about is that they don’t like the punishment being prescribed. Just something to ponder.
