Then the numbers began to drop, and after employer sanctions went into effect on Nov. 6, 1988, the cases were cut almost in half.
They've adapted to employer sanctions and found a way around it.
Despite stiff employer sanctions, France has in 1987 close to that number of undocumented immigrants.
Under the law, Congress must reconsider the employer sanctions within the next 30 days.
There are even fewer ways to assess the success of the employer sanctions.
Some Republicans favor a balanced approach, but others oppose the whole idea of employer sanctions as a burden on employers.
Illegal immigration continued to swell after the 1986 amnesty despite employer sanctions.
Any effort at immigration reform should include stronger employer sanctions and aggressive enforcement.
The employer sanctions, which would impose fines of up to $10,000 for each illegal worker, go into effect June 1.
That system of employer sanctions was intended to make the law more effective.