The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (the 96 Act) Pub L. 104-208, was enacted on September 30, 1996. It includes increases in criminal penalties for immigration-related offenses, authorization for increases in enforcement personnel, and enhanced enforcement authority. There are a number of measures designed to enhance Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) presence and enforcement at the border. The 96 Act undertakes a comprehensive reorganization of the process of removal for inadmissible and deportable aliens, including a provision for the expedited removal of inadmissible aliens arriving at ports of entry. The 96 Act requires the conducting of three types of employment authorization verification pilot programs. It includes restrictions on the eligibility of aliens for public benefits and imposes new requirements on sponsors of alien relatives for immigration. A brief description of the Act’s principal provisions follows.
