Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Senior Thesis

Degree

Bachelor of Arts

Primary Major

Political Science

Second Major

History

Primary Minor

Pre-law

Thesis Advisor

Alison Howard, MA

Abstract

Historically, immigration policy has been important for the United States. It has shaped the nation’s economy, demographics, and political landscape. In each presidential administration, immigration has been addressed differently, shaped by a combination of political, economic, and international factors. While scholars such as Higham (1956), Zolberg (2008), and Pineau and Waters (2016) have examined the events leading up to and the effect of various immigration policies, the literature has not focused on a critical actor in immigration policy: the president. This thesis asks what factors shaped the immigration policy priorities of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan? This study used content analysis to address this question by examining presidential speeches and official White House memoranda during these two presidential administrations. Through this analysis, this research hopes to identify the patterns that prompt presidents to choose a focus for what needs to be addressed in immigration policy. The findings reveal that the immigration policy priorities of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were influenced by a combination of factors, with political factors being the most prominent, even though they emphasized different aspects of the issue. Carter’s administration focused on humanitarian concerns and international human rights in response to the global refugee crisis, culminating in the Refugee Act of 1980, while also emphasizing anti-discrimination protections and legislative coordination. Reagan, on the other hand, emphasized border security, employer sanctions, and enforcement measures, while still supporting amnesty provisions for long-term immigrants through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. This study demonstrates that presidential immigration priorities of Presidents Carter and Reagan were shaped primarily by political pressures, with international crises and economic needs influencing policy to varying degrees.

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