1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act

The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act was a U.S. law aimed at addressing illegal immigration. It allowed approximately 3 million undocumented immigrants who had lived in the U.S. since before 1982 to apply for legal residency. The law also made it illegal for employers to knowingly hire undocumented workers and introduced penalties for violations. While it aimed to balance enforcement and compassion, critics argue it didn't fully solve immigration issues and unintentionally led to more undocumented immigration in the years that followed.