One of the most frustrating things about being a conservative today are the policies promoted in the name of the conservative movement that are pretty much the opposite of what I believe conservatives should theoretically stand for. The first obvious example is gay marriage and adoption (why should a conservative advocate that government care about your sexual orientation?), but a second example is immigration.

Ronald Reagan is the undisputed king of the modern conservative movement in America. So, looking at conservative policies today you'd probably assume that Reagan wanted to round up all of the illegal aliens, erect a huge wall and said something about wanting to keep America for Americans.

You'd be wrong.

In the late 1970s, Reagan proposed a treaty that would have allowed full freedom of movement for workers throughout North America. He signed the 1986 immigration reform act that gave over amnesty to over 3 million illegal immigrants. In his farewell address he again shared his vision of America:

I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here.

You see that? I don't notice anything that says "unless you're unskilled and/or Mexican".

To be fair, Reagan also advocated heavy fines for employers that still hired illegal immigrants, but he was pushing for a humane solution that punished people trying to exploit illegal immigrants, rather than punishing illegal immigrants for trying to better their lives.

To me, that's a very conservative response - one that is optimistic and assumes the best of the individual and one that believes in the importance of opportunity and the enduring American dream.

Ilya Somin at Volokh has it exactly right when he says:

The fact that Reagan supported something does not by itself prove that it is right, or even that it is the right position for conservatives. Reagan certainly made his share of mistakes, such as the extremely grave error of trading arms for hostages with Iran. But as Cannon notes, Reagan's positive attitude towards immigration was not just an isolated issue position, but was integrally linked to his generally optimistic and open vision of America. I would add that it also drew on his understanding that America is not a zero-sum game between immigrants and natives - just as he also recognized that it is not a zero-sum game between the rich and the poor. Immigration could promote prosperity and advancement for both groups in much the same way that free trade benefits both Americans and foreigners. Reagan probably did not have a detailed understanding of the economics of comparative advantage which underpins this conclusion. But he surely understood it intuitively. Those who reject Reagan's position on immigration must, if they are to be consistent, also reject much of the rest of his approach to economic and social policy. Today's conservatives can argue for immigration restrictions if they so choose. But they should not claim the mantle of Reagan in doing so.

Sadly, I think the new modern conservative movement is more literal. It's social movement about "family values" rather than an economic or social movement about freedom.

Reagan used to be a Democrat. I don't think he'd be a Democrat today, but I have my doubts that he'd be a Republican.