Difference between revisions of "Timeline of immigration enforcement in the United States"

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| 1997 || April || Policy rollout || Immigration and Naturalization Services; current equivalent: U.S. Customs and Border Protection || [[wikipedia:expedited remova|Expedited removal]] begins to be applied gainst noncitizens seeking admission at designated ports of entry. Legal authority for expedited removal was present in the IIRIRA.<ref name=nilc>{{cite web|url=https://nilc.org/removpsds151.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150722030314/https://nilc.org/removpsds151.html|archive-date = July 22, 2015|title = DHS Announces Latest in Series of Expedited Removal Expansions. Entire U.S. Border Now Covered|publisher = [[wikipedia:National Immigration Law Center|National Immigration Law Center]]|date = March 23, 2006|accessdate = July 19, 2015}}</ref><ref name=ins-fact-sheet>{{cite web|url=http://www.vdare.com/articles/ins-fact-sheet-expedited-removal|title = INS Fact Sheet Expedited Removal|last = Mann|first = Juan|date = November 11, 2002|accessdate = July 19, 2015}}</ref>
 
| 1997 || April || Policy rollout || Immigration and Naturalization Services; current equivalent: U.S. Customs and Border Protection || [[wikipedia:expedited remova|Expedited removal]] begins to be applied gainst noncitizens seeking admission at designated ports of entry. Legal authority for expedited removal was present in the IIRIRA.<ref name=nilc>{{cite web|url=https://nilc.org/removpsds151.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150722030314/https://nilc.org/removpsds151.html|archive-date = July 22, 2015|title = DHS Announces Latest in Series of Expedited Removal Expansions. Entire U.S. Border Now Covered|publisher = [[wikipedia:National Immigration Law Center|National Immigration Law Center]]|date = March 23, 2006|accessdate = July 19, 2015}}</ref><ref name=ins-fact-sheet>{{cite web|url=http://www.vdare.com/articles/ins-fact-sheet-expedited-removal|title = INS Fact Sheet Expedited Removal|last = Mann|first = Juan|date = November 11, 2002|accessdate = July 19, 2015}}</ref>
 
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| 2001 || || Terrorist attack || || The [[wikipedia:September 11 attacks|September 11 attacks]] occur. These attacks, killing about 3000 people, lead to changes in the United States' border security and immigration enforcement apparatus.
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| 2001 || September 11 || Terrorist attack || || The [[wikipedia:September 11 attacks|September 11 attacks]] occur. These attacks, killing about 3000 people, lead to changes in the United States' border security and immigration enforcement apparatus.
 
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| 2004 || || Policy rollout || U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement || The use of stipulated removal is expanded significantly, under President [[wikipedia:George W. Bush|George W. Bush]].<ref name=azcentral/><ref name=stanford-stipulated-removal>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/child-page/163220/doc/slspublic/Stipulated_removal_backgrounder.pdf|title = Backgrounder: Stipulated Removal. Federal authorities are deporting immigrants without hearings, but the public knows very little about the program.|publisher = [[Stanford Law School]]}}</ref>
 
| 2004 || || Policy rollout || U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement || The use of stipulated removal is expanded significantly, under President [[wikipedia:George W. Bush|George W. Bush]].<ref name=azcentral/><ref name=stanford-stipulated-removal>{{cite web|url = https://www.law.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/child-page/163220/doc/slspublic/Stipulated_removal_backgrounder.pdf|title = Backgrounder: Stipulated Removal. Federal authorities are deporting immigrants without hearings, but the public knows very little about the program.|publisher = [[Stanford Law School]]}}</ref>

Revision as of 17:10, 18 March 2017

This page provides a timeline of key events related to immigration enforcement in the United States. The focus is on enforcement activities such as those carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

Big picture

Time period Key developments
Prior to the 1980s There is very little systematic immigration enforcement, either at the border or in the interior. Immigration enforcement happens in waves, with large, one-off operations such as the Mexican repatriation and Operation Wetback.
1981–2000 (picking up mostly after 1986) The time period includes the Immigration and Reform Control Act of 1986 and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Immigration enforcement grows significantly in terms of budget and staff at the Immigration and Naturalization Services, as well as legislation and policy facilitating stronger enforcement.
2001–2016 Increases in resources, laws, and policies to facilitate stronger enforcement continue. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, result in a disbanding of the INS and the creation of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security; functions of the INS are transferred to new sub-agencies of this department.
2017 The election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States could yield stronger immigration enforcement.

Full timeline

Year Month and date (if available) Event type Affected agencies (past, and present equivalents) Details
1982 February 22 Leadership change Immigration and Naturalization Services Alan C. Nelson becomes the Comissioner of the INS, working under Attorney General Edwin Meese and President Ronald Reagan.[1]
1986 November 6 Legislation (landmark) Immigration and Naturalization Services; current equivalent: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) is signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, after passing both houses of the 99th United States Congress after three years of legislative back-and-forth. The key sponsores are Alan K. Simpson and Romano L. Mazzoli, so the act is also known as the Simpson–Mazzoli Act. This combines an amnesty for people who have been present in the United States for a while, a restructuring of the H-2 program splitting it into the H-2A (unlimited temporary agricultural workers) and H-2B (other temporary workers), and more resources into enforcement.[2]
1987 October 21 Deferred action Immigration and Naturalization Services Alan C. Nelson, INS Commissioner announces Family Fairness, a deferred action policy for children (and, in rare cases, spouses) of people eligible to legalie per the IRCA, to solve the problem of split-eligibility families.[3]
1987 (approx)  ? Benefits management Immigration and Naturalization Services; federal, state, and local agencies that use thesystem The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program gets started.[4][5]
1990 February 5 Deferred action Immigration and Naturalization Services The Family Fairness policy is extended to spouses of IRCA-eligible people. The extension serves as a bridge to a legislation that is passed as part of the Immigration Act of 1990.[6][7]
1990  ? Landmark legislation Immigration and Naturalization Services The Immigration Act of 1990 is signed into law by President George H. W. Bush. While mostly focused on legal temporary and permanent immigration, some provisions of the Act are relevant to enforcement. In particular, the Family Unity Policy passed as part of the Act supersedes the Family Fairness executive action.[8][9]
1993 October 18 Leadership change Immigration and Naturalization Services Doris Meissner becomes INS Commissioner.[10][11]
1995 Policy rollout Immigration and Naturalization Services; current equivalent: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Stipulated removal is launched with the stated goal of alleviating overcrowding in federal, state, and local detention centers.[12]
1996 August 22 Legislation (adjacent) Numerous federal and state government agencies Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act is signed into law by President Bill Clinton after passing both chambers of the 104th United States Congress. Though not focused on migration, the legislation includes provisions restricting migrant access to the welfare state, and would lead to expansion in the use of SAVE.
1996 September 30 Legislation (landmark) Immigration and Naturalization Services Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 is signed into law by President Bill Clinton after passing both chambers of the 104th United States Congress. It includes a number of provisions facilitating various forms of immigration enforcement that would be rolled out over the next two decades.
1997 April 1 Policy rollout Immigration and Naturalization Services; current equivalents: U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement The new, enhanced reinstatement of removal, as authorized by IIRIRA, becomes active.[13]
1997 April Policy rollout Immigration and Naturalization Services; current equivalent: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Expedited removal begins to be applied gainst noncitizens seeking admission at designated ports of entry. Legal authority for expedited removal was present in the IIRIRA.[14][15]
2001 September 11 Terrorist attack The September 11 attacks occur. These attacks, killing about 3000 people, lead to changes in the United States' border security and immigration enforcement apparatus.
2004 Policy rollout U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement The use of stipulated removal is expanded significantly, under President George W. Bush.[12][16]

References

  1. "Alan C. Nelson: Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Service, February 22, 1982 - June 16, 1989". United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. February 4, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016. 
  2. "Public Law 99-603" (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office. November 6, 1986. Retrieved March 15, 2017. 
  3. "Reagan-Bush Family Fairness: A Chronological History". American Immigration Council. December 9, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2017. 
  4. Brown, June Gibbs (November 1, 1995). "Review of the SAVE System's Process" (PDF). Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved June 11, 2016. 
  5. "Spotlight on Surveillance, April 2007: SAVE System Can't Save Itself From 11-Year History of Inaccuracy, Unreliability". Electronic Privacy Information Center. April 1, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2016. 
  6. "Interpreter releases: report and analysis of immigration and nationality law" (PDF). February 5, 1990. Retrieved February 22, 2017. 
  7. Howe, Marvine. "New Policy Aids Families of Aliens". New York Times. 
  8. Leiden, Warren. "Highlights of the U.S. Immigration Act of 1990". Fordham International Law Journal. Retrieved September 30, 2014. 
  9. Stone, Stephanie. "1190 Immigration and Nationality Act". U.S. Immigration Legislation Online. U.S. Immigration Legislation Online. Retrieved September 30, 2014. 
  10. "Doris Meissner. Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Service, October 18, 1993 - November 18, 2000". United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Retrieved July 5, 2016. 
  11. Ifill, Gwen (June 19, 1993). "President Chooses an Expert To Halt Smuggling of Aliens". New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2016. 
  12. 12.0 12.1 Gonzalez, Daniel (November 6, 2011). "Immigration officials back away from deportation program. Effort quickened process but raised rights issues". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 24, 2015. 
  13. Mehta, Cyrus; Walker, Lin. "Reinstatement Of Removal". Immigration Daily. 
  14. "DHS Announces Latest in Series of Expedited Removal Expansions. Entire U.S. Border Now Covered". National Immigration Law Center. March 23, 2006. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015. 
  15. Mann, Juan (November 11, 2002). "INS Fact Sheet Expedited Removal". Retrieved July 19, 2015. 
  16. "Backgrounder: Stipulated Removal. Federal authorities are deporting immigrants without hearings, but the public knows very little about the program." (PDF). Stanford Law School.