I think it makes a difference with hindsight. Reagan signed the 1986 amnesty with no talk radio, no FAIR, NumbersUSA to educate the public on the issue or to burn the phone lines of congress.
Republicans had just won the Presidency with a hispanderer from Texas. I can understand moreso there was momentum for this misinformed pandering in the Texas GOP at the time then there is this decade at the national level.
Reagan's amnesty was a one time deal that failed. That wasn't predictable so he had no way of knowing. Perry had benefit of knowing but did it anyway because it was part of his pro-ILLEGAL agenda. There's a world of difference between the two men, their goals and their agendas.