Illegal Immigration Reform Act Expands Deportations Affecting Black Immigrants

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 vastly expanded grounds for deportation including for lawful permanent residents convicted of crimes. Black immigrants from Caribbean nations including Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad were disproportionately affected given intersecting racial profiling in drug enforcement. The Act eliminated most judicial discretion in deportation cases and created mandatory detention for broad categories of non-citizens.