To fix today’s border problem, update Reagan’s 1986 amnesty 

As the migrant and refugee crisis unfolds at our border, I want to share a personal story about a formerly undocumented person: my dad.  

In the 1980s, my dad took a perilous 10-month journey to cross into the United States. He was arrested, detained and released multiple times and witnessed horrific incidents, including the tragic loss of human life. His successful means of entry was to jump over a fence into muddy waters. A member of his caravan had to toss a tire around him to drag him out.  

After crossing into the U.S., he remained undocumented and took on odd jobs with cheap wages to make ends meet. In 1986, luck was on his side and he gained authorization to work in this country legally. He would eventually become an American citizen years later.  

Just like many other poor and marginalized members of our world, my dad decided to risk his life to move to the U.S. Immigrants will always be a major part of our nation’s political, economic, cultural and social fabric. Unfortunately, today’s political discourse continues to demonize immigrants, in which politicians refer to the ongoing migrant and refugee crisis as an “invasion.” This type of vitriolic rhetoric continues to dehumanize immigrants, empower xenophobia and hate, and prevent bipartisan efforts to reform our immigration system. 

In the early 1980s, a debate between GOP presidential nominees Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush portrayed a radically different stance on immigration from their contemporary conservative and Republican party members. While answering a question on undocumented immigration, for instance, Reagan responded by stating, “Rather than talking about putting up a fence, why don’t we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit.” Fences will not solve unauthorized immigration; recognizing the issue with neighboring countries and providing legal pathways for people will. 

President Reagan eventually signed the Immigration Reform & Control Act of 1986, which, among other provisions, gave lawful permanent residence status to undocumented people. This was the country’s last major comprehensive immigration reform package. Without this piece of legislation, my dad would not have gained U.S. citizenship.  

In a statement during the signing ceremony, Reagan stated, “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. Very soon many of these men and women will be able to step into the sunlight and, ultimately, if they choose, they may become Americans.”  

The crisis at our border is a result of many global inequities: economic exploitation, political persecution, civil war, poverty, casteism, and so on. To ignore the underlying issues of the migrant and refugee crisis is to do a disservice not only to undocumented people but also to political efforts to reform the system.  

Congress can do better for undocumented people by amending the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, updating its cutoff year of residence in which undocumented immigrants must have been present in this country to remain eligible for permanent legal resident status.  

By updating the cutoff year from 1982 to 2022, we can authorize legal status for millions of undocumented people who illegally entered the country before 2022. This would be a massive relief for the hardworking and diverse communities in this country where many are living in fear of deportation. Once given legal status, these people will be paid a fair wage, have access to federal financial aid, better legal protection, and many additional benefits.  

It is time for the U.S. to reform its immigration system. My father was a beneficiary and started a life in the U.S. free from the fear of deportation. The tens of millions of undocumented immigrants in this country today deserve to be treated the same way. 

Mandeep Heera is an advocate for national civil rights policy issues and reforming the United States immigration system.