“But, between 1965-1995, immigration was not a major issue, “
You mean it wasn’t a major issue for you.
It was already a major issue in California long before 1995, which is why Prop 187 passed in 1994.
The people of California had already experienced a deluge of illegals and we were fed up with GHW Bush and Clinton’s refusal to enforce the penalties included in the 1986 Reagan amnesty. So we passed a state law to do what Bush and Clinton refused to do.
And had either of those useless Presidents done what the law requires of them instead of ignoring it then the problem would not have grown geometrically. The fact is that they ignored the law and instead followed the advice of the border-despising Bartley, whose name should be synonymous with treason motivated by greed.
But, I don't think Clinton and GHWB needed Bartley’s advice concerning enforcement.
Clinton could count, and he knew 80% of first generation Hispanics voted for Democrats.
GHWB was a center-left Republican, a New England patrician by birth, and he governed that way any time he thought he
could get away with it.
Today, I completely reject Bartley’s immigration policy.
But 50 years ago, Bartley, and Bill Buckley, and Barry Goldwater were the only Conservative game in town.