LOS ANGELES, June 3 (UPI) -- U.S. policymakers are looking to the past for lessons on moving forward with immigration reform, The Los Angeles Times reported.
The Simpson-Mazzoli immigration reform act of 1986 legalized millions of illegal immigrants but didn't stop the flow of immigrants, the newspaper said. Legislation recently approved by the U.S. Senate includes many of the same features as the 1986 reform bill -- such as tougher border enforcement and measures to discourage hiring of undocumented workers.
The number of illegal immigrants has more than doubled since 1986 -- from roughly 5 million to an estimated 12 million.
Many critics of the Senate bill derisively call it "amnesty" legislation, claiming the United State is rewarding illegals in a system that does not address all potential problems.
Bill King, who headed up the 1986 amnesty program in the western United States, said he considers the current situation as a round-two.
"It's almost as if today's politicians are resurrecting the transcripts and speeches from 1986," he said.
