A window on immigration reform : implementing the Immigration Reform and Control Act in Los Angeles

Elizabeth S. Rolph, Abby Robyn

ResearchPublished 1990

Responding to growing concerns that the United States was fast losing control of its borders to illegal immigration, Congress enacted the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). At its heart, the statute represents an effort to control illegal immigration by reducing the opportunities for illegal immigrants to find employment. At the same time, recognizing that a substantial number of illegal immigrants already had established themselves as an integral part of the economic and social fabric of the nation, the statute also provided that longtime residents could convert to legal status and eventually gain citizenship. This study examines the implementation of IRCA in Los Angeles, the nation's most important "gateway city" for illegal immigration. Understanding how and why the law is being interpreted and applied as it is in this locale helps explain outcomes in a critical location and sheds light on national implementation.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1990
  • Pages: 136
  • Document Number: JRI-6

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Rolph, Elizabeth S. and Abby Robyn, A window on immigration reform : implementing the Immigration Reform and Control Act in Los Angeles. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1990. https://www.rand.org/pubs/joint_reports-immigration/JRI6.html.
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This publication is part of the RAND joint report immigration series. The joint report was a product of RAND from 1988 to 1993 that included documents published jointly with other organizations and presented major research findings and final research.

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