If immigration reform fails, the GOP may be doomed

If Republicans have any hope of winning back Latinos, they must end their fierce internal divisions on immigration

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

There are already storm clouds gathering on the Republican Party's right-most political horizon. But if the GOP squelches comprehensive immigration reform, the party could face a devastating political hurricane in the near future.

Conservatives have long felt burned due to 1986's bipartisan Immigration Reform and Control Act, also known as the Simpson-Mazzoli Act, which reformed immigration policy and became part of President Ronald Reagan's legacy. As The Washington Post's Karen Tumulty notes, "both sides of the immigration debate see it as a cautionary lesson.... Critics contend that the law actually contributed to making the situation worse." There were 3 to 5 million illegal immigrants then, and 11 million plus now.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Joe Gandelman is a syndicated columnist for Cagle Cartoons and is the editor of The Moderate Voice blog.