The act required employers to attest to their employees’ immigration status and made it illegal to hire or recruit unauthorized immigrants knowingly. The act also legalized certain seasonal agricultural undocumented migrants and undocumented migrants who entered the United States before January 1, 1982 and had resided there continuously with the penalty of a fine, back taxes due, and admission of guilt. Candidates were required to prove that they were not guilty of any crime, had been in the country before January 1, 1982, and possessed at least a minimal knowledge about U.S. history and government and the English language.
The Immigration Reform and Control Act did not address the status of children of undocumented migrants who were eligible for the amnesty program. In 1987, Reagan used his executive authority to legalize the status of minor children of parents granted amnesty under the immigration overhaul, announcing a blanket deferral of deportation for children under 18 who were living in a two-parent household with both parents legalizing or with a single parent who was legalizing. That action affected an estimated 100,000 families.
Nearly three million people applied for legalization under the IRCA. There were two groups of applicants. Aliens who had been unlawfully residing in the United States since before January 1, 1982 (pre-1982 immigrants) were legalized under Section 245A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) while Aliens employed in seasonal agricultural work for a minimum of 90 days in the year prior to May, 1986 (SAWs) were legalized under Section 210A of the INA. Nearly 2.7 million people were ultimately approved for permanent residence.
REPUBLICANS HAD COMPASSION, THEY WANTED UNLAWFUL ALIENS TO BECOME CITIZENS. HOWEVER, AS WE HAVE SEEN, OUR BORDERS ARE OPEN TO THE HARDENED CRIMINAL.