Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)

The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), enacted in 1986, aimed to address issues related to illegal immigration in the United States. It introduced measures to secure the U.S. borders and established penalties for employers who knowingly hired undocumented workers. The act also offered a pathway to legal residency for certain undocumented immigrants who had been in the country since before 1982, allowing them to obtain legal status after meeting specific criteria. In essence, IRCA sought to balance enforcement with opportunities for immigration reform.