▁en act ed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁Im m igration ▁Reform ▁and ▁Control ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁made ▁it ▁illegal ▁to ▁h ire ▁or ▁rec ruit ▁illegal ▁imm igr ants . ▁The ▁law ▁did ▁not ▁provide ▁a ▁legal ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁great ▁number ▁of ▁low - sk illed ▁workers ▁wish ing ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Following ▁this ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁law , ▁almost ▁ 1 2 ▁million ▁und ocument ed ▁workers ▁came ▁il leg ally ▁across ▁the ▁U . S . ▁border . ▁It ▁was ▁estimated ▁that ▁this ▁illegal ▁work force ▁made ▁up ▁about ▁five ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁work force . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁estimated ▁that ▁about ▁ 7 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁those ▁illegal ▁workers ▁were ▁from ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁Form er ▁Mexican ▁president ▁Vic ente ▁Fox ▁wrote ▁that , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁President ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁and ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁both ▁parties ▁of ▁Congress ▁were ▁ready ▁to ▁pass ▁significant ▁imm igration ▁reform ▁legisl ation ▁benef iting ▁Mexican ▁em igration ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁The ▁imm igration ▁reform ▁which ▁Bush ▁and ▁Fox ▁hoped ▁for ▁was ▁put ▁on ▁hold ▁after ▁the ▁terror ist ▁attacks ▁of ▁September ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁passed ▁the ▁Border ▁Prote ction , ▁Anti - ter ror ism , ▁and ▁Il legal ▁Im m igration ▁Control ▁Act ▁of