November 6, 1986: The Immigration Reform and Control Act

Behind the President, left to right: Representative Peter Rodino,

Senator Alan Simpson, Vice President George H.W. Bush,

Senator Strom Thurmond and Representative Romano Mazzoli

November 6, 1986, 40 years ago: President Ronald Reagan signs the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. It has been the defining document of America's immigration policy ever since.

Its most significant effect was that it allowed immigrants who had entered the U.S. illegally before January 1, 1982 to apply for legal status, provided they paid fines and back taxes. This provision, which Reagan himself referred to as "amnesty," allowed around 3 million immigrants to secure legal status after paying $185 -- about $565 in 2026 money -- demonstrating "good moral character," and learning to speak English.

It superseded the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which superseded the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which replaced the terribly restrictive Immigration Act of 1924.

The 1986 Act was proposed by Senator Alan Simpson, Republican of Wyoming. Its House of Representatives sponsor was Romano Mazzoli of Kentucky, a Democrat and a son of Italian immigrants. So it had bipartisan support. The House passed it on October 14, by a vote of 238-173. The Senate did so on October 17, by a vote of 63-24. So the vote wasn't close.

Reagan signed it into law in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Among those with him at the time were Simpson, Mazzoli, Vice President George H.W. Bush; and the Chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, respectively: Peter Rodino, Democrat of New Jersey, and Strom Thurmond, Republican of South Carolina. Thurmond had come a long way from a past of bigotry. He should have: He was a few days short of his 84th birthday.

Conservative activists since Reagan, who have demagogued the issue of illegal immigration since the 1990s and especially since the 9/11 attacks in 2001, find it hard to believe that their favorite President of all time could have done such a thing, but he did. Say what you want about him, and I have, but the man did believe that immigrants made America stronger, not weaker.

And every President after him agreed: Both George Bushes, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama -- until Donald Trump, who was so anti-immigrant, he made Calvin Coolidge look like a believer in open borders.

Another big difference between Reagan and Trump: Reagan had a healthy distrust of Russian dictators. Trump has an affinity for them, and it is very unhealthy for America.