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

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| 2009 || January 20 || Leadership change || Executive branch || Democratic politician [[wikipedia:Barack Obama|Barack Obama]] becomes President of the United States, after winning the Democratic primary with chief opponent [[wikipedia:Hillary Clinton|Hillary Clinton]], and a general election with Republican opponent [[wikipedia:John McCain|John McCain]].
 
| 2009 || January 20 || Leadership change || Executive branch || Democratic politician [[wikipedia:Barack Obama|Barack Obama]] becomes President of the United States, after winning the Democratic primary with chief opponent [[wikipedia:Hillary Clinton|Hillary Clinton]], and a general election with Republican opponent [[wikipedia:John McCain|John McCain]].
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| 2009 || January 21 || Leadership change || U.S. Department of Homeland Security || [[wikipedia:Janet Napolitano|Janet Napolitano]] nominee of incoming President Barack Obama, becomes Secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, succeeding outgoing President George W. Bush's nominee Michael Chertoff.
 
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| 2009 || May 12 || Leadership change || U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement || [[wikipedia:John T. Morton|John T. Morton]] becomes direction of [[wikipedia:U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ice.gov/about/leadership/director-bio/john-morton.htm|title = https://www.ice.gov/es/node/40230#content1|title = History of ICE: Part 2|accessdate = March 18, 2017|publisher = [[wikipedia:U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]}}</ref>
 
| 2009 || May 12 || Leadership change || U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement || [[wikipedia:John T. Morton|John T. Morton]] becomes direction of [[wikipedia:U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ice.gov/about/leadership/director-bio/john-morton.htm|title = https://www.ice.gov/es/node/40230#content1|title = History of ICE: Part 2|accessdate = March 18, 2017|publisher = [[wikipedia:U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]}}</ref>

Revision as of 19:22, 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. The period, particularly the tail-end under President Barack Obama, is marked by the use of executive orders to determine de facto immigration policy in the face of significant legislative deadlock.
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
1981 January 20 Leadership change Executive branch Republican politician Ronald Reagan is sworn in as President of the United States.
1982 February 22 Leadership change Immigration and Naturalization Services Alan C. Nelson becomes the Comissioner of the INS, working under President Ronald Reagan.[1]
1983 January 9 Organizational restructuring Executive Office for Immigration Review, Board of Immigration Appeals, Immigration and Naturalization Services The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is created as part of the U.S. Department of Justice. The EOIR combines two pre-existing functions: the Board of Immigration Appeals (also originally under the DOJ) and the Immigration Judge function (carried out previously by the INS, which was at the time under the DOJ).[2]
1985 February Leadership change U.S. Department of Justice Edwin Meese becomes United States Attorney General.[3][4] The Attorney General heads the U.S. Department of Justice, and prior to the September 11 attacks, the INS was under the Department of Justice.
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.[5]
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.[6]
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.[7][8]
1988 October 15 Leadership change U.S. Department of Justice Dick Thornburgh becomes Attorney General, succeeding scandal-engulfed Edwin Meese.
1989 January 20 Leadership change Executive branch Republican politician and incumbent vice-president George H. W. Bush becomes President of the United States, succeeding Ronald Reagan.
1989 June 16 Leadership change Immigration and Naturalization Services INS Commissioner Alan C. Nelson is fired, amidst clashes with Attorney General Dick Thornburgh who wants to bring the INS more firmly under his own control, as well as accusations against Nelson of mismanagement.[1][9][10]
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.[11][12]
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.[13][14]
1993 January 20 Leadership change Executive branch Democratic politician Bill Clinton becomes President of the United States, after defeating incumbent George H. W. Bush in elections.
1993 March 11 Leadership change U.S. Department of Justice Janet Reno becomes Attorney General.
1993 September 19 Policy rollout United States Border Patrol Operation Hold the Line launches, initially with the name Operation Blockade, in the El Paso, Texas border sector. The operation is headed by Silvestre Reyes, the head of the El Paso Border Control at the time.[15][16]
1993 October 18 Leadership change Immigration and Naturalization Services Doris Meissner becomes INS Commissioner.[17][18]
1994 October 1 Policy rollout United States Border Patrol Operation Gatekeeper is launched under Attorney General Janet Reno and USCIS Commissioner Doris Meissner. The initial launch is at Imperial Beach Station in the San Diego Sector of the United States Border Patrol.[19]
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.[20]
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.[21]
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.[22][23]
2001 January 20 Leadership change Executive branch Republican politician George W. Bush becomes President of the United States, after defeating incumbent vice-president and Democratic politician Al Gore in a closely contested election.
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.
2001 October 8 Leadership change U.S. Department of Homeland Security Tom Ridge becomes Assistant to the President on Homeland Security (to President George W. Bush), in preparation for the creation of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The move is a response to the September 11 attacks.[24]
2002 November Policy rollout Immigration and Naturalization Services; current equivalents: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services The credible fear screening process is introduced by the INS.[23][25] The introduction of this process is to address concerns about the wrongful removal of people eligible for asylum through the expanded expedited removal process.
2002 November 25 Organizational restructuring U.S. Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) comes into formal existence. Eventually, the functions handled by the INS (which was under the Department of Justice) would move to the DHS.
2003 March 1 Organizational restructuring Immigration and Naturalization Services and U.S. Department of Homeland Security The Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) (that was under the Department of Justice) is disbanded. Its functions are divided into three sub-agencies of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
2004 Policy rollout U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement The use of stipulated removal is expanded significantly, under President George W. Bush.[20][26]
2005 February 15 Leadership change U.S. Department of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff takes over as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, succeeding Tom Ridge.[27]
2005 October Policy rollout U.S. Customs and Border Protection (specifically, Border Patrol) Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announces that the catch and release policy would be phased out.[28][29] He confirms completion of the phase-out in late July 2006,[30] providing more details in August 2006 on how the policy might have reduced border-crossing.[31][32]
2005 December Policy rollout U.S. Customs and Border Protection (specifically, Border Patrol) working together with U.S. Department of Justice An initial version of Operation Streamline is launched by the United States Border Patrol for Del Rio, Texas in response to a significant increase in the number of apprehended non-Mexican migrants, from 10,000 in 2004 to 15,000 in 2005.[33]
2009 January 20 Leadership change Executive branch Democratic politician Barack Obama becomes President of the United States, after winning the Democratic primary with chief opponent Hillary Clinton, and a general election with Republican opponent John McCain.
2009 January 21 Leadership change U.S. Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano nominee of incoming President Barack Obama, becomes Secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, succeeding outgoing President George W. Bush's nominee Michael Chertoff.
2009 May 12 Leadership change U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement John T. Morton becomes direction of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[34]
2017 January 20 Leadership change Executive branch Republican politician Donald Trump becomes President of the United States, after defeating Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton in the general election.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "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. "About the Office". Executive Office for Immigration Review. Retrieved March 18, 2017. 
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/24/us/senate-approves-meese-to-become-attorney-general.html
  4. Jackson, Robert L.; John J. Goldman (1989-08-09). "Wallach Found Guilty of Racketeering, Fraud: Meese's Friend, Two Others Convicted in Wedtech Scandal". Los Angeles Times. 
  5. "Public Law 99-603" (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office. November 6, 1986. Retrieved March 15, 2017. 
  6. "Reagan-Bush Family Fairness: A Chronological History". American Immigration Council. December 9, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2017. 
  7. 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. 
  8. "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. 
  9. Berke, Richard (March 14, 1989). "WASHINGTON TALK: IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION; Service's Chief Tilts Against an 'Oblique' Attack on His Policies". New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2016. 
  10. "INS Chief Resigns; Under Fire in Justice Dept. Audit". Associated Press. June 26, 1989. Retrieved October 24, 2016. 
  11. "Interpreter releases: report and analysis of immigration and nationality law" (PDF). February 5, 1990. Retrieved February 22, 2017. 
  12. Howe, Marvine. "New Policy Aids Families of Aliens". New York Times. 
  13. Leiden, Warren. "Highlights of the U.S. Immigration Act of 1990". Fordham International Law Journal. Retrieved September 30, 2014. 
  14. Stone, Stephanie. "1190 Immigration and Nationality Act". U.S. Immigration Legislation Online. U.S. Immigration Legislation Online. Retrieved September 30, 2014. 
  15. Dowd, Vincent. "Operation Hold the Line". Retrieved March 18, 2017. 
  16. "Revised Strategy is Showing Some Positive Results" (PDF). Government Accountability Office. December 1, 1994. Retrieved March 18, 2017. 
  17. "Doris Meissner. Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Service, October 18, 1993 - November 18, 2000". United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Retrieved July 5, 2016. 
  18. Ifill, Gwen (June 19, 1993). "President Chooses an Expert To Halt Smuggling of Aliens". New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2016. 
  19. "BACKGROUND TO THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATION". Retrieved March 18, 2017. 
  20. 20.0 20.1 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. 
  21. Mehta, Cyrus; Walker, Lin. "Reinstatement Of Removal". Immigration Daily. 
  22. "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. 
  23. 23.0 23.1 Mann, Juan (November 11, 2002). "INS Fact Sheet Expedited Removal". Retrieved July 19, 2015. 
  24. "Gov. Ridge Sworn-In to Lead Homeland Security". George W. Bush White House Archives. October 8, 2001. Retrieved March 18, 2017. 
  25. "Key Statistics and Findings on Asylum Protection at the U.S.-Mexico Border" (PDF). Human Rights First. June 1, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2015. 
  26. "Backgrounder: Stipulated Removal. Federal authorities are deporting immigrants without hearings, but the public knows very little about the program." (PDF). Stanford Law School. 
  27. "Bush names new US security chief". BBC. 2005-01-11. Retrieved 2008-10-15. 
  28. "Chertoff declares: Expel all illegals. Homeland Security chief aims to eliminate 'catch and release'". WorldNetDaily. October 18, 2005. Retrieved July 18, 2015. 
  29. "Chertoff: End 'Catch and Release' at Borders". Associated Press via Fox News. October 18, 2005. Retrieved July 18, 2015. 
  30. "Chertoff hails end of let-go policy". Washington Times. July 28, 2006. Retrieved July 18, 2015. 
  31. Jordan, Lara Jakes (August 23, 2006). "U.S. Ends 'Catch-And-Release' at Border". Retrieved June 17, 2015. 
  32. "U.S. announces end of 'catch and release'. Chertoff says new 'detain' policy means". WorldNetDaily. August 23, 2006. Retrieved June 17, 2015. 
  33. "Operation Streamline: Costs and Consequences" (PDF). Grassroots Leadership. September 1, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2015. 
  34. "History of ICE: Part 2". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Retrieved March 18, 2017.