Lessons From The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) was the first legislative attempt to comprehensively address the issue of unauthorized immigration. The law included sanctions against employers for the hiring of unauthorized immigrants, more robust border enforcement, and an expansive legalization program that was unprecedented.

IRCA resulted from a number of political compromises, and balanced the need for stronger immigration enforcement with legalization of a large portion of the unauthorized population. Although the concepts behind the legislation were sound, there were problems with its design and implementation in each of its major goals: employer accountability, broader enforcement that prevented illegal entries, and legalization of a large population of unauthorized migrants.

While the context of American immigration policymaking has changed substantially since 1986, the incentives for immigration to the United States remain the same. Thus, many lessons from IRCA remain powerful in today’s environment.