Amid the persistent discussion surrounding America’s immigration policies, one piece of legislation has stood out for its potential impact on controlling illegal immigration: the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA). This law was enacted with the intention of making it more difficult to for immigrants to enter the country illegally, and impose stricter penalties on those who do.
IIRIRA overhauled many aspects of immigration policy, from detention and deportation proceedings to naturalization regulations. One of the most significant provisions of IIRIRA is the expansion of mandatory detention for immigrants who are apprehended without legal status. This means that non-citizens without legal status are no longer able to be released on bond and are instead required to remain in detention until their case is adjudicated or they can be deported.
In addition to stiffening detention provisions, IIRIRA also created new restrictions on the ability of immigrants to gain lawful status and authorized the use of expedited removal procedures as well as increasing criminal penalties for immigrants who enter the country illegally, are deported, and attempt to reenter.
Though the provisions of IIRIRA have been controversial across party lines, it is undeniable that this piece of legislation has marked an important step forward in controlling illegal immigration into the United States. By restricting entry by undocumented immigrants and boosting the penalties for reentry, IIRIRA has made the entering of the United States without proper documentation much more difficult.