conix, Reagan's 1986 amnesty boosted the economy. Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants Has Economic Benefits *Washington’s last amnesty for illegal workers led to higher wages and economic growth By Lorraine Woellert March 15, 2013, 12:31 PM GMT+11 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-03-14/amnesty-for-illegal-immigrants-has-economic-benefits It was good for the U.S.A., in many more ways than one.