title: The "amnesty" aftermath: current policy issues stemming from the legalization programs of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act.
abstract: "The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) created two one-time only legalization programs affecting nearly 3 million undocumented immigrants. Legalization has produced important changes among immigrants and in immigration policy. These changes include new patterns of immigrant social and economic adaptation to the United States and new immigrant flows through family ties to IRCA-legalized aliens.... This article combines data from a longitudinal survey of the IRCA-legalized population with qualitative field data on current immigration issues from key informants in eight high-immigration metropolitan areas. It reviews the political evolution and early implementation of legalization, the current socioeconomic position of legalized aliens, and changes in the immigration ¿policy space' resulting from legalization."
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000569:Americas; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D004467:Economics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D007878:Legislation as Topic; D009656:North America; D011057:Politics; D011153:Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011640:Public Policy; D012922:Social Change; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014481:United States
keywords: Acculturation; Americas; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Economic Factors; Illegal Migrants; Immigrants; International Migration; Legislation; Migrants; Migration; Migration Policy; North America; Northern America; Policy; Political Factors; Population; Population Dynamics; Population Policy; Social Change; Social Policy; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic Status; United States