They were attempting to establish a new policy for dealing with illegal immigration. Unfortunately for them, public pressure against the new policy prevented complete implementation.
I wonder if there is a lesson in the outcome of that flood of unwelcome immigrants, one that we would be wise to learn from.
I suspect they were upset at the illegal immigrants that took their land, welched off their deer, refused to learn Algonquin, dressed funny and prayed to so god in the sky.