--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always said that the 1986…" description: "\"I've always said that the 1986 [Immigration Reform and Control] Act had a fourth leg [in addition to law enforcement, increased immigration and amnesty..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/jan-c-ting-24884_aliens_i-ve-always-said-that-the-1986-immigrati_838781.jpg" --- # I've always said that the 1986 \[Immigration Reform and… ![“I've always said that the 1986 [Immigration Reform and Control] Act had a fourth leg [in addition to law enforcement, increased immigration and amnesty] to its stool which was wishful thinking. And that pattern of a four-legged stool was copied in the failed attempts to enact a second and bigger…” quote by Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/jan-c-ting-24884_aliens_i-ve-always-said-that-the-1986-immigrati_838781.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/jan-c-ting-24884_aliens_i-ve-always-said-that-the-1986-immigrati_838781.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/jan-c-ting-24884_aliens_i-ve-always-said-that-the-1986-immigrati_838781.jpg) > “I've always said that the 1986 \[Immigration Reform and Control\] Act had a fourth leg \[in addition to law enforcement, increased immigration and amnesty\] to its stool which was wishful thinking. And that pattern of a four-legged stool was copied in the failed attempts to enact a second and bigger general amnesty for illegal aliens in 2006, 2007, and in the current year 2013.” [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The 1986 immigration law relied on four pillars—enforcement, increased immigration, amnesty, and unrealistic optimism—creating a fragile system that repeats in later failed amnesty attempts. **In simple terms:** Four pillars of the law included wishful thinking, leading to repeated failures. Key Takeaway Recognize and address unrealistic expectations in policy design. Themes policy immigration legislation politics systemic risk Mood cautious critical analytical Type analytical policy critique When to use this quote - law drafting - policy reform - public debate - advocacy - legislative strategy Key Concepts institutional design policy cycles political feasibility Questions to Reflect On - How can policymakers balance realistic assessments with political goals? - What safeguards prevent repeated reliance on wishful thinking? A Different Perspective Optimism alone cannot compensate for structural weaknesses. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aliens/) [Amnesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) [Illegal aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal-aliens/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Immigration reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration-reform/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law enforcement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-enforcement/) [Patterns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patterns/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wishful thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishful-thinking/) ## Related quotes > [We will break the cycle of amnesty and illegal immigration. There will be no amnesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-will-break-the-cycle-of-amnesty-and-illegal-immigration-there-will/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Let's help take back our country with our wallets, and don't forget to contact your senators and congressman to let them know that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cuccinelli/let-s-help-take-back-our-country-with-our-wallets-and-don-t-forget-to/) [Ken Cuccinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cuccinelli/) > [...we will not grant amnesty to illegal aliens in this Congress or, hopefully ever again. We did that once. Everybody said it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-gramm/we-will-not-grant-amnesty-to-illegal-aliens-in-this-congress-or/) [Phil Gramm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-gramm/) > [ No. 1, it \[amnesty for illegal aliens\] demoralizes the people that are going through the legal process. It's a very clear signal that why… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/no-1-it-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-demoralizes-the-people-that-are/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [ No one believed \[the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens\] was tough enough on illegal immigration, and it didn't give enough flexibility on future legal immigration. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/no-one-believed-the-1986-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-was-tough-enough/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [You are going to hear many things from Mr. Trump today in his speech on immigration. One, no amnesty. He is absolutely going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/you-are-going-to-hear-many-things-from-mr-trump-today-in-his-speech/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [Democrats in sanctuary states support amnesty for illegal aliens, just so long as those illegal aliens don't wind up in sanctuary states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-knowles/democrats-in-sanctuary-states-support-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-just/) [Michael J. Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-knowles/) > [Hail, high Excess especially in wine, To thee in worship do I bend the knee Who preach abstemiousness unto me My skull thy pulpit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/hail-high-excess-especially-in-wine-to-thee-in-worship-do-i-bend-the/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [One falls to the ground in trying to sit on two stools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/one-falls-to-the-ground-in-trying-to-sit-on-two-stools/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [The 3-legged stool of understanding is held up by history, languages, and mathematics. Equipped with those three you can learn anything you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-3-legged-stool-of-understanding-is-held-up-by-history-languages/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I will meet you in the dirtiest city you can dream of. We will drink cocktails so sweet they pucker our cheeks, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-tea/i-will-meet-you-in-the-dirtiest-city-you-can-dream-of-we-will-drink/) [Michelle Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-tea/) > [My chin is weak. I find it hard to make decisions. For years I had been caught between the two stools of security on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-kavanagh/my-chin-is-weak-i-find-it-hard-to-make-decisions-for-years-i-had-been/) [Patrick Kavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-kavanagh/) > [My mother says I was two-and-a-half when I started playing. My father was a minister, and when he went to church in the morning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/my-mother-says-i-was-two-and-a-half-when-i-started-playing-my-father/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Vee is my un-twin. She's green-eyed, milky blond, and a few pounds over curvy. I'm a smoky-eyed brunette with volumes of curly hair that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/vee-is-my-un-twin-she-s-green-eyed-milky-blond-and-a-few-pounds-over/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) ## More by Jan C. Ting > [If cheap immigrant labor is made unavailable, employers can hire Americans at a higher wage, or replace low-wage immigrant workers with technology and automation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/if-cheap-immigrant-labor-is-made-unavailable-employers-can-hire/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [There is no quick fix for illegal immigration. But only when we achieve better control of our borders and better respect for our immigration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/there-is-no-quick-fix-for-illegal-immigration-but-only-when-we/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [Besides taking jobs from American workers, illegal immigration creates huge economic burdens on our health care system, our education system, our criminal justice system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/besides-taking-jobs-from-american-workers-illegal-immigration-creates/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [If we're willing to accept unlimited immigration in order to keep wages low and corporate profits high, we should just say so and stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/if-we-re-willing-to-accept-unlimited-immigration-in-order-to-keep/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [The DREAM Act was intended to benefit illegal immigrants who were brought here as children, the most sympathetic subset among our large illegal immigrant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/the-dream-act-was-intended-to-benefit-illegal-immigrants-who-were/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [All Americans are either immigrants or descendants of ancestors who came from somewhere else, including Native Americans. We should all respect and admire immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/all-americans-are-either-immigrants-or-descendants-of-ancestors-who/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [The goal of immigration policy should be what is in the best interests of the American people as a whole. I would recommend limiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/the-goal-of-immigration-policy-should-be-what-is-in-the-best/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [The U.S. immigration system is the most generous in the world, providing each year more green cards for legal permanent residence with a clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/the-u-s-immigration-system-is-the-most-generous-in-the-world/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [I respect those who openly advocate for unlimited immigration to the United States. Open borders is an intellectually coherent, defensible position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/i-respect-those-who-openly-advocate-for-unlimited-immigration-to-the/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [Our immigration system is not broken. We don't need, and Congress shouldn't enact, amnesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/our-immigration-system-is-not-broken-we-don-t-need-and-congress/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [Illegal immigrants make a rational choice when they decide to violate our immigration laws. They weigh the costs, including the risks of getting caught,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/illegal-immigrants-make-a-rational-choice-when-they-decide-to-violate/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [I personally believe that a democratic society is morally entitled to set and enforce a limit on the number of new immigrants admitted each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/i-personally-believe-that-a-democratic-society-is-morally-entitled-to/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [We should favor young immigrants with many years of work ahead of them. We should favor immigrants who have demonstrated an ability to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/we-should-favor-young-immigrants-with-many-years-of-work-ahead-of/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [Both my parents were immigrants, as were many of their friends, the parents of the children with whom I grew up. Of course I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/both-my-parents-were-immigrants-as-were-many-of-their-friends-the/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [Prolonged unemployment is a tragedy of broken lives, broken families, foreclosed homes, and life without health insurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/prolonged-unemployment-is-a-tragedy-of-broken-lives-broken-families/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) [Explore all 23 Jan C. Ting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) ## More Aliens quotes > [My days – the blossom of my youth and the flower of my manhood – have been darkened by the dreariness of servitude. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-o-connell/my-days-the-blossom-of-my-youth-and-the-flower-of-my-manhood-have/) [Daniel O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-o-connell/) > [Ay-firmative,' Eve said, and tried for a smile. 'Sorry. An Aliens reference always makes me feel better at times like this. Exept I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/ay-firmative-eve-said-and-tried-for-a-smile-sorry-an-aliens-reference/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." 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Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [If you're going to immerse yourself in a project for three years, why not stake out a chunk of the world that is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-powers/if-you-re-going-to-immerse-yourself-in-a-project-for-three-years-why/) [Richard Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-powers/) > [I'm not a fan of any genre but am a fan of movies that are intelligent and/or funny. That goes across all genres: a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-a-fan-of-any-genre-but-am-a-fan-of-movies-that-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The respect for human rights, essential if we are to use technology wisely, is not something alien that must be grafted onto science. 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