Reagan, Bush Also Extended Amnesty To Immigrants

Posted by | November 15, 2014 19:00 | Filed under: Politics Top Stories


Two of the last three presidents, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, gave amnesty to undocumented immigrants.

There was no political explosion then comparable to the one Republicans are threatening now…

Nearly three decades ago, there was barely a peep when Reagan and Bush used their authority to extend amnesty to the spouses and minor children of immigrants covered by the 1986 law.

In 1986, Congress and Reagan enacted a sweeping overhaul that gave legal status to up to 3 million immigrants without authorization to be in the country, if they had come to the U.S. before 1982. Spouses and children who could not meet that test did not qualify, which incited protests that the new law was breaking up families…

“It’s a striking parallel,” said Mark Noferi of the pro-immigration American Immigration Council. “Bush Sr. went big at the time. He protected about 40 percent of the unauthorized population. Back then that was up to 1.5 million. Today that would be about 5 million.”…

“It’s clear that it’s fully within his legal authority to issue these orders,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas. He said Republicans ‘didn’t raise any objections in the past when Republican presidents issued similar orders. This is pure political theater.”

Obama’s anticipated action would not award legal status, but it would offer temporary protection from deportation and the possibility of obtaining a work permit.

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Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: William

retired military , former cop, lifelong gym rat and doting grandfather alive and living in Maine

19 responses to Reagan, Bush Also Extended Amnesty To Immigrants

  1. StoneyCurtisll November 15th, 2014 at 19:21

    How dare Obama attempt to follow in the foot steps of Reagan and Bush..
    Who the hell does he think he is, the President?

  2. StoneyCurtisll November 15th, 2014 at 20:21

    How dare Obama attempt to follow in the foot steps of Reagan and Bush..
    Who the hell does he think he is, the President?

  3. tiredoftea November 15th, 2014 at 19:32

    There he goes again, Presidenting while black!

  4. tiredoftea November 15th, 2014 at 20:32

    There he goes again, Presidenting while black!

  5. Spirit of America November 15th, 2014 at 20:44

    Read carefully… 1.5 mil compared to 5 mil, I’d call that a difference. “congress and reagan”, i’d call that a difference compared to “against congress & a pres”…
    A big part of the contest is that the dems promised a plan & funds would come after the deal w/reagan, but it never happened.
    Add in the exec order so far(until signed it can change) also adds in items that were not in what reagan/dems did, together, back then. Another difference.
    So the number is different, the allocations is different and working or not w/congress is different.
    Where as the topic is fruit, one is apple the other is oranges.

    • tracey marie November 15th, 2014 at 22:28

      lol, blanket amnesty versus amnesty with many strings and demands attached now.

    • tracey marie November 15th, 2014 at 22:52

      2.7 million out of the 5 million were given green cards, wages went up and so did the amount of taxes collected.

    • Obewon November 16th, 2014 at 04:42

      “Read carefully”-SoA 4.5M+ and don’t lie: In 1986, Congress and Reagan enacted a sweeping overhaul that gave legal status to up to • 3 million immigrants without authorization to be in the country, “It’s a striking parallel,” said Mark Noferi of the pro-immigration American Immigration Council. “• Bush Sr. went big at the time. He protected about 40% of the unauthorized population. Back then that was up to 1.5 million. Today that would be about 5 million.”…

  6. Spirit of America November 15th, 2014 at 21:44

    Read carefully… 1.5 mil compared to 5 mil, I’d call that a difference. “congress and reagan”, i’d call that a difference compared to “against congress & a pres”…
    A big part of the contest is that the dems promised a plan & funds would come after the deal w/reagan, but it never happened.
    Add in the exec order so far(until signed it can change) also adds in items that were not in what reagan/dems did, together, back then. Another difference.
    So the number is different, the allocations is different and working or not w/congress is different.
    Where as the topic is fruit, one is apple the other is oranges.

    Edit: oltwpa

    • tracey marie November 15th, 2014 at 23:28

      lol, blanket amnesty versus amnesty with many strings and demands attached now.

    • tracey marie November 15th, 2014 at 23:52

      2.7 million out of the 5 million were given green cards, wages went up and so did the amount of taxes collected.

    • Obewon November 16th, 2014 at 05:42

      “Read carefully”-SoA, 1986 Reagan & GHWB’s 1989 Amnesty = 4.5M+ “1.5 mil compared to 5 mil, I’d call that a difference.”-SoA, busted dissembling 4.5 M+ vs 5 M -a full Twenty-Five years later when U.S. population hits 320 M in 2014 is far less proportionally! http://www.census.gov/popclock/ rising from USA’s “1986 240 M & 1989’s 247 M” http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/nation/popclockest.txt You realize USA Population without immigrants is less than the “replacement rate”? “1.9 in 2010—well below the replacement level of 2.1” http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2012/world-population-data-sheet/fact-sheet-us-population.aspx

      ‘Immigrants surplus $80,000 more in taxes paid in 1993 dollars, than any benefits received.’-GWB 2007 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.html on why immigrants also start more businesses, etc leading to U.S. Record $16.2 T+ GDP growing +3.5% to +4.2% Annually in 2014.

      In 1986, Congress and Reagan enacted a sweeping overhaul that gave legal status to up to • 3 million immigrants without authorization to be in the country, “It’s a striking parallel,” said Mark Noferi of the pro-immigration American Immigration Council. “• Bush Sr. went big at the time. He protected about 40% of the unauthorized population. Back then that was up to 1.5 million. Today that would be about 5 million.”…

  7. Pistol-Packing AKA "Susie" November 15th, 2014 at 22:40

    I will only speak for myself. I was to young back then to know what was going on. And I can see that in the last 30 years, we did not learn our lessons.

  8. Pistol-Packing November 15th, 2014 at 23:40

    I will only speak for myself. I was to young back then to know what was going on. And I can see that in the last 30 years, we did not learn our lessons.

  9. fancypants November 15th, 2014 at 23:06

    I was in high school when Reagan made this statement about immigration The sad part is most of our jobs started to disappear shortly after he left office. Then the rest of the world became more important then the people who have been here for a few decades and its never changed since.

  10. fancypants November 16th, 2014 at 00:06

    I was in high school when Reagan made this statement about immigration The sad part is most of our jobs started to disappear shortly after he left office. Then the rest of the world became more important then the people who have been here for a few decades and its never changed since.

  11. Thomas Davidson November 16th, 2014 at 00:31

    Back then, Congress actually worked with the President, not always trying to bring him down.

  12. Thomas Davidson November 16th, 2014 at 01:31

    Back then, Congress actually worked with the President, not always trying to bring him down.

  13. Zed Power November 16th, 2014 at 07:59

    Meme: Mexico invades. Barry Soetoro surrenders.

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