Looking Back to See Ahead: Unanticipated Changes in Immigration from 1986 to the Present and Their Implications for American Politics Today

Abstract

This article explores how issues of immigration—and particularly undocumented immigration—have evolved since the enactment of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act and how they have changed US politics in significant and often unexpected ways. In particular, our review explores five themes: (a) the failure of comprehensive immigration reform over the past quarter century; (b) the shift in immigration policy making toward state and local governments; (c) the identification of ethno-racial minorities around immigration status and immigrants as racialized groups; (d) the political mobilization of undocumented immigrants; and (e) the emergence of transnational political ties between the United States and sending countries. The article concludes by assessing possible blind spots within the contemporary discussion of immigration and how we might fail to anticipate possible changes or trends in the making.