"Is this his version of "READ MY LIPS NO NEW TAXES " ?
245(i) isn't "amnesty" - at least not for the typical illegal alien!
First of all, the average illegal - a Mexican border-skipper - just doesn't legally qualify. (How many of them are married to dumb gringas anyway?) 245(i) is a boon for Asians who overstayed student visas and married dumb Americans - but not to Mexicans who entered illegally to start with and also lack the required family ties.
IMMIGRATION resource library - with public-health facts of immigration!