Remarks on Signing the
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
The President. I'm very pleased that
you could all be here today. I know how busy you've been with events leading up
to Tuesday's election, and I want to congratulate all of you in the House of
Representatives who've just been reelected.
This
bill, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, that I will sign in a few
minutes is the most comprehensive reform of our immigration laws since 1952.
It's the product of one of the longest and most difficult legislative
undertakings in the last three Congresses. Further, it's an excellent example
of a truly successful bipartisan effort. The administration and the allies of
immigration reform on both sides of the Capitol and both sides of the aisle
worked together to accomplish these critically important reforms to control
illegal immigration.
In
1981 this administration asked the Congress to pass a comprehensive legislative
package, including employer sanctions, other measures to increase enforcement of
the immigration laws, and legalization. The act provides these three essential
components. Distance has not discouraged illegal immigration to the
I
would like to recognize a few of the public servants whose unflagging efforts
have made this legislation a reality. Senator Alan Simpson, Congressman Dan Lungren, Chairman Peter Rodino,
and Congressman Rom Mazzoli have long pursued and now
have attained this landmark legislation. Important roles were played by Senator
Strom Thurmond, Senator Paul Simon, and Congressmen Ham Fish, Bill McCollum,
Chuck Schumer, and many others in both Houses of the Congress and in both
parties. Additionally, I would like to note the excellent efforts of members of
my administration who have worked so hard over the last 6 years to make this
bill signing possible today. The long list of those in the executive branch is
headed by Attorneys General Edwin Meese and William
French Smith, who with Immigration Commissioner Alan C. Nelson have contributed
greatly to our efforts to pass meaningful immigration reform.
Future
generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain
control of our borders and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred
possessions of our people: American citizenship. So, now I'll get on with the
signing and make this into law. Hope nothing happens to me between here and the
table. [Laughter] And I got my names in the right order there. [Laughter]
Reporter. Mr. President, do we have a deal going
with
The President. No comment. But could I
suggest an appeal to all of you with regard to this: that the speculation, the
commenting and all, on a story that came out of the
Note:
The President spoke at