Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis

by Jonathan Blitzer

Act (IRCA) into law—“the most comprehensive reform of our immigration laws since 1952,” he said, reading from a prewritten speech in which he praised Congress for its “truly successful bipartisan effort.” Some three million undocumented immigrants would be legalized. The legislation had been years in coming, he added, joking that the final stretch was up to him. “Hope nothing happens to me between here and the table,” he said. There was hearty applause as he signed the bill, but something happened in between the podium and the door. A reporter shouted, “Mr. President?” Reagan turned to the press gallery. “Do we have a deal going with Iran of some sort?” It was a reference to a story that had surfaced earlier that week and would soon gain traction as the so-called Iran-Contra Affair, a window into the White House’s continued obsession with Central America. In contravention of Congress and an explicit arms embargo, the administration was covertly selling weapons to Iran in order to send the proceeds to the Contra forces fighting to overthrow the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The room grew instantly quiet, as the president paused. “No comment,” he said.