Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), also known as the Simpson-Mazzoli Act, was signed into law by Ronald Reagan on November 6, 1986, is an Act of Congress which reformed United States immigration law. 
Immigration at that time.
At the time, the Immigration and Naturalization Service estimated that about four million illegal immigrants would apply for legal status through the act and that roughly half of them would be eligible.