Immigration Reform and the Factors that Determine its Success or Failure

The last time the United States was witness to a successful comprehensive immigration reform law was 1986. This thesis explores the question of why it has not happened since and the factors that have halted every effort since 1986. The 1986 law did not clear the United States of immigration problems. While the law granted amnesty to over a million undocumented immigrants, there were millions more who were left in the shadows. So why has nothing happened since? The factors that led to success in 1986 have changed and so have the priorities of the two major parties. The efforts immediately following the 1986 law failed to find the kind of consensus that the 1986 law had, making future efforts more difficult. This thesis explores the factors that make comprehensive immigration reform difficult and argues that the factors aligned against immigration reform have only grown stronger since the 1986 law was passed.