Reagan deserves tremendous credit for triumphing in at least 2 of the key issues of his time; winning the Cold War (when so many thought we were doomed to lose) and ending the Stagflation of the Carter years and getting the economy roaring again.
He was a great man, and in many ways a great President.
But when reviewing the whole record, he has to be faulted for his blinders on immigration, and of course for inflicting us with Sandra Day O’Connor.
And George Bush.
Faulted? Obviously, you didn't live through the Reagan Era. If you had, you wouldn't engage in such revisionism.
Reagan never supported open borders and stated many times, "A nation without borders is not a nation." Reagan did sign into law the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 which included severe penalties for employers who hired illegals --- up to a $1,000,000 fine --- along with improved border enforcement and a limited legalization provision for 300K illegals. Later, that figure would rise to 900K and jump to a final figures of 2.7 million. That was not Reagan's fault, however.
If the IRCA of 1986 had been properly enforced and not abused or had its funding gutted by Ted Kennedy and the Senate Democrat majority, it would have been a success. And today we wouldn't be talking about massive problems associated with illegal immigration.
When Reagan nominated O'Conner he was convinced she was a solid conservative and said so in his Presidential Diary. Not only did O'Conner have the backing of senior Reagan advisers Ed Meese and George Shultz. She also received a solid endorsement from GOP activist, conservative jurist and long time personal friend to O'Conner, Justice William Rehnquest.
No President can be held responsible for a Supreme Court Justice changing over 10-20 years on the high court. Eisenhower thought his pick of Earl Warren turned out to be a huge mistake. Nixon wasn't satisfied with Warren Burger. And Bush41 was unhappy with David Souter.
Both J. O'Conner and J. Kennedy did not turn out the way Reagan had envisioned. That sometimes happens with lifetime appointments to the high court.