Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan have various experiences in common (both were Republicans, both served as president, etc.). Today I would like to concentrate on their similar challenges regarding undocumented immigrants. During the Reagan administration in the 1980s, there were civil wars going on in Central America, especially Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. To save their lives and the lives of their children, many Central Americans migrated north and crossed into the United States without the appropriate documents. It is estimated there were about 5 million undocumented immigrants in the nation at that time. President Reagan knew some essential information that helped to shape his decisions.

• The overwhelming majority of undocumented immigrants had found employment in agriculture, construction, restaurants, etc. and were making significant contributions to the US economy.
• These immigrants were paying taxes: sales taxes, property taxes, and even taxes to the IRS without much hope of receiving the benefits (Social Security, Medicare) that citizens receive.
• The crime rate among these immigrants was much lower than the average crime rate of US born citizens. (Entering the United States without documents is appropriately classified not as a violent crime or felony, but rather as a misdemeanor.)
• Most of these immigrants were putting down roots in the culture, by participating in religious congregations, by their children actively involved in primary and secondary education, Little League, etc. Nevertheless, many lived in fear of being arrested.
• Just like immigrants in previous times (the Irish, the Italians, Puerto Ricans, and many others) these Central Americans were scapegoated and incorrectly blamed for society’s ills.

Although Reagan had his share of human flaws, at times he demonstrated true leadership and a compassionate heart. Together with a Democrat controlled Congress, Reagan pushed legislation that became the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. The immigrants had to meet certain requirements: they had to pay a penalty and back taxes, they had to have lived in the United States for at least five years, etc. Far from conducting “raids” on job sites where the undocumented worked, the Reagan administration encouraged them to continue working in their “illegal” jobs. Knowing that the immigrants would naturally be fearful of interacting with government authorities, Reagan urged congregations and groups like World Relief to become the intermediaries that would offer legal advice, English classes, and other services. (My church, the Evangelical Free Church of Des Plaines, Illinois, participated in this project). The program was compassionate. For example, if immigrants had not lived in the country for a full five years, they were advised to “lay low”, keep on working and improving their English until they met the five-year requirement.

President Reagan signed the bill in a ceremony at the Statue of Liberty where he affirmed, “The legalization provisions in this act will go far to improve the lives of a class of individuals who now must hide in the shadows, without access to many of the benefits of a free and open society. Very soon many of these men and women will be able to step into the sunlight and, ultimately, if they choose, they may become Americans.”

The Act was an overwhelming success! The majority of the immigrants came out of the shadows, regularized their legal status, continued in their jobs, and most importantly, kept their families intact. Immigrants becoming active participants in our society is truly “the American way”.

The immigration situation today is quite similar to the challenges that President Reagan faced. The bullet point information at the beginning of this post accurately describes the ten million undocumented immigrants in our midst. During the past week, Trump admitted that our economy desperately needs the labor provided by these immigrants on farms and factories, hotels and restaurants, and in construction. Nevertheless, President Trump has seemed bewildered. He said raids on immigrants are on again, then off again, then on again. Mr. President, on this issue, learn from the example of Ronald Reagan. Do the right thing and work with Congress to pass a bill similar to Reagan’s 1986 Immigration Act.