Key Immigration Laws and Policy Developments Since 1986

This timeline examines and explains the key immigration laws that have shaped U.S. immigration policy in the decades since the passage of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, which combined a series of measures aimed at reducing the flow of unauthorized immigration to the United States with a legalization program for certain unauthorized immigrants.

The timeline extends through 2013, a period during which the U.S. Congress and executive branch were once again debating major reform of the U.S. immigration system.