President Reagan signing the Immigration Reform and Control Act

Contact Your Elected Officials

President Reagan’s remarks at signing ceremony for the Immigration Reform and Control Act in the Roosevelt Room on November 6, 1986.

In the 1986 signing statement for his immigration bill, President Reagan declared that “We have consistently supported a legalization program which is both generous to the alien and fair to the countless thousands of people throughout the world who seek legally to come to America. The legalization provisions in this act will go far to improve the lives of a class of individuals who now must hide in the shadows, without access to many of the benefits of a free and open society.โ€

The President spoke at 10:10 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. S. 1200, approved Nov. 6, was assigned Public Law No. 99 – 603. 

President Ronald Reagan: Iโ€™m very pleased that you could all be here today. I know how busy youโ€™ve been with events leading up to Tuesdayโ€™s election, and I want to congratulate all of you in the House of Representatives whoโ€™ve just been reelected.

This bill, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, that I will sign in a few minutes is the most comprehensive reform of our immigration laws since 1952. Itโ€™s the product of one of the longest and most difficult legislative undertakings in the last three Congresses. Further, itโ€™s an excellent example of a truly successful bipartisan effort. The administration and the allies of immigration reform on both sides of the Capitol and both sides of the aisle worked together to accomplish these critically important reforms to control illegal immigration.

In 1981 this administration asked the Congress to pass a comprehensive legislative package, including employer sanctions, other measures to increase enforcement of the immigration laws, and legalization. The act provides these three essential components. Distance has not discouraged illegal immigration to the United States from all around the globe. The problem of illegal immigration should not, therefore, be seen as a problem between the United States and its neighbors. Our objective is only to establish a reasonable, fair, orderly, and secure system of immigration into this country and not to discriminate in any way against particular nations or people.

I would like to recognize a few of the public servants whose unflagging efforts have made this legislation a reality. Senator Alan Simpson, Congressman Dan Lungren, Chairman Peter Rodino, and Congressman Rom Mazzoli have long pursued and now have attained this landmark legislation. Important roles were played by Senator Strom Thurmond, Senator Paul Simon, and Congressmen Ham Fish, Bill McCollum, Chuck Schumer, and many others in both Houses of the Congress and in both parties. Additionally, I would like to note the excellent efforts of members of my administration who have worked so hard over the last 6 years to make this bill signing possible today. The long list of those in the executive branch is headed by Attorneys General Edwin Meese and William French Smith, who with Immigration Commissioner Alan C. Nelson have contributed greatly to our efforts to pass meaningful immigration reform.

Future generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain control of our borders and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people: American citizenship. So, now Iโ€™ll get on with the signing and make this into law. Hope nothing happens to me between here and the table. [Laughter] And I got my names in the right order there. [Laughter]

A Reporter:ย Mr. President, do we have a deal going with Iran of some sort?

President Ronald Reagan: No comment. But could I suggest an appeal to all of you with regard to this: that the speculation, the commenting and all, on a story that came out of the Middle East, and that to us has no foundation — that all of that is making it more difficult for us in our effort to get the other hostages free.

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

The America Party Will Harm Democrats The Most

Elon Musk formed the America Party after an X poll asking his followers if they wanted โ€œindependence from the two-party system!

Democrats Exhibit the Dunning-Kruger Effect (DKE)

โ€œThe Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people with low ability at a task overestimate their competence, while those with high ability underestimate their competence.

250 Countdown

Those 56 intrepid men who signed put their very lives, honor and fortunes on the line. There was no auto-quill to accommodate their signatures.ย 

How the Senate Parliamentarian Changed the OBBB

An unelected bureaucrat does a important job in the U.S. Senate. Elizabeth MacDonough enforces senate rules on Trumpโ€™s โ€œOne Big Beautiful Billโ€.

Bioterror Roundup: CDC Director Nominee Is a Monster + New mRNA Pregnancy Studies

Bioterror Propaganda Roundup: The latest updates on the โ€œnew...

Death Toll From Texas Floods Rises to 82, Including 28 Children; Trump Plans Visit

Days after catastrophic flash floods in central Texas, rescuers are still searching for potential survivors, including 27 girls who went missing from camp.

Trump Signs Major Disaster Declaration Over Texas Flooding

President Trump signed major disaster declaration for Kerr County, TX, following floods leaving dozens dead and FEMA has been activated to respond.

Storm Chantal Makes Landfall in Carolinas, Weakens to Tropical Depression

Chantal weakened into a tropical depression, and tropical storm warnings previously issued for parts of North and South Carolina were discontinued.

IBA President Says Imane Khelif Should Return Olympic Gold Medal

IBA president urged Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to return tgold medal won at 2024 Paris Olympics to the rightful winner, amid gender-eligibility row.

Trump Signs Tariff Letters to 12 Nations Ahead of Looming Deadline

President Trump has signed letters that will be sent to around a dozen nations ahead of next weekโ€™s deadline to reach a trade agreement..

Trump Says US Will Hold Talks With China on Possible TikTok Deal Next Week

President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that U.S. officials would begin talks with China about a potential TikTok deal next week.

Trump Indicates Legislation for Hiring Illegal Aliens on Farms

Trump to allow illegal immigrants who work on farms to continue working to prevent unnecessary disruptions to farming across the country.

US Keeps Pressure on Chinese Goods Amid Vietnam Trade Deal

Transshippingโ€”rerouting goods through a third country to disguise the origin of the productsโ€”is a focal point of trade negotiations with Asian markets.
spot_img

Related Articles