Also, another reminder that IIRIRA was a terrible law.
November 9, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Also, another reminder that IIRIRA was a terrible law.
I’m being dead serious when i say that Democrats should take advantage of Trump’s ego to pass major legislation. Undo decades of draconian immigration laws (IIRIRA) by renaming it the Trump Immigration Law.
Repeal AEDPA by calling it the Trump Freedom Act.
Go down the list.
Repeal AEDPA by calling it the Trump Freedom Act.
Go down the list.
His midterms ass whoopin has Trump sounding almost woke on immigration
November 9, 2026 at 3:55 AM
I’m being dead serious when i say that Democrats should take advantage of Trump’s ego to pass major legislation. Undo decades of draconian immigration laws (IIRIRA) by renaming it the Trump Immigration Law.
Repeal AEDPA by calling it the Trump Freedom Act.
Go down the list.
Repeal AEDPA by calling it the Trump Freedom Act.
Go down the list.
In my research on IIRIRA, I am reminded everyday of both how transformative that law is and also HOW MUCH MORE EXTREME the current administration is than even those who passed the law in 1996.
November 8, 2026 at 5:19 PM
In my research on IIRIRA, I am reminded everyday of both how transformative that law is and also HOW MUCH MORE EXTREME the current administration is than even those who passed the law in 1996.
May there be a day soon where everyone has the freedom to move and no one is locked up in cages.
#NewWayForward #AEDPA #IIRIRA #NeverAgainAction #NeverAgainIsNow #NeverAgainParaNadie #CommunityEvent
#NewWayForward #AEDPA #IIRIRA #NeverAgainAction #NeverAgainIsNow #NeverAgainParaNadie #CommunityEvent
November 12, 2026 at 1:05 PM
May there be a day soon where everyone has the freedom to move and no one is locked up in cages.
#NewWayForward #AEDPA #IIRIRA #NeverAgainAction #NeverAgainIsNow #NeverAgainParaNadie #CommunityEvent
#NewWayForward #AEDPA #IIRIRA #NeverAgainAction #NeverAgainIsNow #NeverAgainParaNadie #CommunityEvent
IIRIRA also says a "cause of action or claim may only be brought alleging a violation of the Constitution of the United States" and a federal court "shall not have jurisdiction to hear" a claim other than a constitutional claim
November 9, 2026 at 8:16 PM
IIRIRA also says a "cause of action or claim may only be brought alleging a violation of the Constitution of the United States" and a federal court "shall not have jurisdiction to hear" a claim other than a constitutional claim
The plaintiffs alleged IIRIRA, as exercised here, violates the "major questions doctrine", because the Secretary of Homeland Security is exercising far more expansive use of the delegated powers than Congress would be reasonably expected to have delegated based on the statutory language
November 9, 2026 at 8:17 PM
The plaintiffs alleged IIRIRA, as exercised here, violates the "major questions doctrine", because the Secretary of Homeland Security is exercising far more expansive use of the delegated powers than Congress would be reasonably expected to have delegated based on the statutory language
Here, though, SCOTUS says the federal courts lack jurisdiction because the challengers' claim does not allege a violation of the constitution, it alleges an exercise of authority in excess of a statute, i.e., IIRIRA
So, in a handwave, SCOTUS says a MQD violation is technically not constitutional
So, in a handwave, SCOTUS says a MQD violation is technically not constitutional
November 9, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Here, though, SCOTUS says the federal courts lack jurisdiction because the challengers' claim does not allege a violation of the constitution, it alleges an exercise of authority in excess of a statute, i.e., IIRIRA
So, in a handwave, SCOTUS says a MQD violation is technically not constitutional
So, in a handwave, SCOTUS says a MQD violation is technically not constitutional
30 years ago in 1996, Congress passed--and Bill Clinton signed--#AEDPA and #IIRIRA, drastically shifting American immigration policy toward detention as the default, not the exception.
Since then, *every* administration has used and expanded that system of privatized immigration detention.
Since then, *every* administration has used and expanded that system of privatized immigration detention.
November 12, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Rep. Lamar Smith, primary author of IIRIRA, wrote this in 1997:
"the vast majority of legal immigrants are law-abiding and...most illegal immigrants do not commit crimes other than immigration-related offenses."
Contrast w/ this admin's calling all undocumented people criminal illegal aliens.
"the vast majority of legal immigrants are law-abiding and...most illegal immigrants do not commit crimes other than immigration-related offenses."
Contrast w/ this admin's calling all undocumented people criminal illegal aliens.
November 8, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Rep. Lamar Smith, primary author of IIRIRA, wrote this in 1997:
"the vast majority of legal immigrants are law-abiding and...most illegal immigrants do not commit crimes other than immigration-related offenses."
Contrast w/ this admin's calling all undocumented people criminal illegal aliens.
"the vast majority of legal immigrants are law-abiding and...most illegal immigrants do not commit crimes other than immigration-related offenses."
Contrast w/ this admin's calling all undocumented people criminal illegal aliens.
And whatever the merits of the jurisdiction stripping provision in IIRIRA, it has always purported to place statutory claims outside the reach of the courts.
November 9, 2026 at 8:47 PM
And whatever the merits of the jurisdiction stripping provision in IIRIRA, it has always purported to place statutory claims outside the reach of the courts.
Every single new gov needs to stop their local police from joining the 287G program which was part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996.
BTW: both the IIRIRA and Operation Gatekeeper (1994) were signed into law by Bill Clinton.
BTW: both the IIRIRA and Operation Gatekeeper (1994) were signed into law by Bill Clinton.
November 8, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Every single new gov needs to stop their local police from joining the 287G program which was part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996.
BTW: both the IIRIRA and Operation Gatekeeper (1994) were signed into law by Bill Clinton.
BTW: both the IIRIRA and Operation Gatekeeper (1994) were signed into law by Bill Clinton.
NEW: SCOTUS allows Trump admin's Big Bend Sector border-construction project to continue. The court grants another DOJ stay request, this time in a challenge to DHS secretary's waivers allowing the construction. Only Jackson notes dissent. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/26p...
![SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
No. 26A560
MARKWAYNE MULLIN, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY, ET AL. v. FRIENDS OF THE RUIDOSA CHURCH, ET AL.
ON APPLICATION FOR STAY
[November 9, 2026]
PER CURIAM.
Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) grants the Secretary of Homeland Security broad authority to construct border barriers and roads "to deter illegal crossings in areas of high illegal entry into the United States." §102(a), 110 Stat.
3009-554, as amended, note following 8 U. S. C. §1103. The same section expressly authorizes the Secretary "to waive all legal requirements" as "necessary to ensure expeditious construction'" of those barriers and roads, §102(c)(1),
119 Stat. 306, and sharply limits judicial review of all claims arising from such waiver determinations. Specifi-cally, the statute provides that "[a] cause of action or claim may only be brought alleging a violation of the Constitution of the United States'" and courts "shall not have jurisdic-tion'" over nonconstitutional claims. §102(c)(2)(A).
Earlier this year, the Secretary invoked Section 102's waiver authority to initiate a border-construction project at the U. S.-Mexico border, in a region that U. S. Customs and Border Protection has designated the "Big Bend Sector."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreiaw4db7dkpzzstyv2wdkx574eprtsblrkkvnld2inbow2bvtyletm)
November 9, 2026 at 8:20 PM
NEW: SCOTUS allows Trump admin's Big Bend Sector border-construction project to continue. The court grants another DOJ stay request, this time in a challenge to DHS secretary's waivers allowing the construction. Only Jackson notes dissent. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/26p...
Democrats should only cooperate when proposals include a pathway to citizenship for those who’ve been here for decades and have families here.
What they should NOT entertain are more punitive measures only. We do not need any more Laken Riley Acts or Anything like Clinton’s atrocious 1996 IIRIRA.
What they should NOT entertain are more punitive measures only. We do not need any more Laken Riley Acts or Anything like Clinton’s atrocious 1996 IIRIRA.
November 11, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Democrats should only cooperate when proposals include a pathway to citizenship for those who’ve been here for decades and have families here.
What they should NOT entertain are more punitive measures only. We do not need any more Laken Riley Acts or Anything like Clinton’s atrocious 1996 IIRIRA.
What they should NOT entertain are more punitive measures only. We do not need any more Laken Riley Acts or Anything like Clinton’s atrocious 1996 IIRIRA.
The Court stayed a district court's preliminary injunction that had blocked a border-wall construction project in Texas's Big Bend Sector. Because IIRIRA §102 allows only constitutional claims against border waivers, a claim that the Secretary exceeded his statutory authority under the major
November 9, 2026 at 7:51 PM
The Court stayed a district court's preliminary injunction that had blocked a border-wall construction project in Texas's Big Bend Sector. Because IIRIRA §102 allows only constitutional claims against border waivers, a claim that the Secretary exceeded his statutory authority under the major
He was also responsible for the statutes that are enabling ICE enforcement - statutes that were passed in 1996 IIRRIA and AEDPA
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA)
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA)
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA)
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA)
November 6, 2026 at 3:56 AM
He was also responsible for the statutes that are enabling ICE enforcement - statutes that were passed in 1996 IIRRIA and AEDPA
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA)
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA)
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA)
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA)
⏰ Less than a week away! Join us for a screening of Harsh Legacy, a documentary exploring the lasting impact of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), now marking its 30th anniversary.
📅 RSVP now: z.umn.edu/HarshLegacy
📅 RSVP now: z.umn.edu/HarshLegacy
November 4, 2026 at 4:35 PM
⏰ Less than a week away! Join us for a screening of Harsh Legacy, a documentary exploring the lasting impact of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), now marking its 30th anniversary.
📅 RSVP now: z.umn.edu/HarshLegacy
📅 RSVP now: z.umn.edu/HarshLegacy
It’s not just a film— it’s a project. I’ll be making additional modules on topics like:
IIRIRA & workers rights
IIRIRA & border barriers
IIRIRA “dormant provisions” used since 2017, like return to contiguous territory & 3rd country removal
Reach out to collaborate!
www.harshlegacy.org
IIRIRA & workers rights
IIRIRA & border barriers
IIRIRA “dormant provisions” used since 2017, like return to contiguous territory & 3rd country removal
Reach out to collaborate!
www.harshlegacy.org
October 28, 2026 at 1:04 PM
It’s not just a film— it’s a project. I’ll be making additional modules on topics like:
IIRIRA & workers rights
IIRIRA & border barriers
IIRIRA “dormant provisions” used since 2017, like return to contiguous territory & 3rd country removal
Reach out to collaborate!
www.harshlegacy.org
IIRIRA & workers rights
IIRIRA & border barriers
IIRIRA “dormant provisions” used since 2017, like return to contiguous territory & 3rd country removal
Reach out to collaborate!
www.harshlegacy.org
Understanding IIRIRA and AEDPA and how these laws created today’s punitive immigration system is essential to changing course and prioritizing human dignity and due process over chaos, humiliation, and punishment.
Learn more: www.vera.org/news-spotlig...
Learn more: www.vera.org/news-spotlig...
October 29, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Understanding IIRIRA and AEDPA and how these laws created today’s punitive immigration system is essential to changing course and prioritizing human dignity and due process over chaos, humiliation, and punishment.
Learn more: www.vera.org/news-spotlig...
Learn more: www.vera.org/news-spotlig...
Over the past year, I've teamed up with Phyllis Coven to make a film about the impact of IIRIRA and the need for legislative reform.
Our first screening is this Wednesday at UMD law school in Baltimore.
Join us!
www.eventbrite.com/e/harsh-lega...
Our first screening is this Wednesday at UMD law school in Baltimore.
Join us!
www.eventbrite.com/e/harsh-lega...
Harsh Legacy: How Did We Get to this Moment in American Immigration History
Harsh Legacy: How Did We Get to this Moment in American Immigration History?
www.eventbrite.com
October 26, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Over the past year, I've teamed up with Phyllis Coven to make a film about the impact of IIRIRA and the need for legislative reform.
Our first screening is this Wednesday at UMD law school in Baltimore.
Join us!
www.eventbrite.com/e/harsh-lega...
Our first screening is this Wednesday at UMD law school in Baltimore.
Join us!
www.eventbrite.com/e/harsh-lega...
No, don’t abolish ICE. Or rather, don’t ONLY abolish ICE. Repeal every last fucking letter of IIRIRA. And a bunch of other laws as well.
🧵🧵🧵
www.propublica.org/article/depo...
🧵🧵🧵
www.propublica.org/article/depo...
The Small-Town Cop Who Helped ICE Deport His Neighbors
Ingram, Texas, was just rebuilding from a devastating flood when its tiny police department enrolled in ICE’s 287(g) deportation program. Within a year, cops would hand over the equivalent of 10% of t...
www.propublica.org
October 26, 2026 at 2:46 AM
No, don’t abolish ICE. Or rather, don’t ONLY abolish ICE. Repeal every last fucking letter of IIRIRA. And a bunch of other laws as well.
🧵🧵🧵
www.propublica.org/article/depo...
🧵🧵🧵
www.propublica.org/article/depo...
There’s a lot more, and things like the Anti-Drug Abuse Act and several other immigration laws enacted around the same time as the IIRIRA have also led to this.
October 26, 2026 at 2:46 AM
There’s a lot more, and things like the Anti-Drug Abuse Act and several other immigration laws enacted around the same time as the IIRIRA have also led to this.
IIRIRA is 30 years old. The legal authorities invoked by the Trump administration to mandatorily detain and massively deport immigrants and to turn away asylum seekers are in IIRIRA-- especially as interpreted by today's SCOTUS. IIRIRA also hampers judicial protection of rights of immigrants.
October 26, 2026 at 1:52 PM
IIRIRA is 30 years old. The legal authorities invoked by the Trump administration to mandatorily detain and massively deport immigrants and to turn away asylum seekers are in IIRIRA-- especially as interpreted by today's SCOTUS. IIRIRA also hampers judicial protection of rights of immigrants.
The IIRIRA, or Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 is what most people believe the Immigration and Nationalization Act is (the INA was first enacted in 1952).
THIS is the law that everyone seizes on when talking about undocumented immigrants.
THIS is the law that everyone seizes on when talking about undocumented immigrants.
October 26, 2026 at 2:46 AM
The IIRIRA, or Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 is what most people believe the Immigration and Nationalization Act is (the INA was first enacted in 1952).
THIS is the law that everyone seizes on when talking about undocumented immigrants.
THIS is the law that everyone seizes on when talking about undocumented immigrants.
3) It established expedited removal, giving certain immigration officers the power to summarily deport immigrants without the benefit of the courts. The original intent of this under the IIRIRA was to avoid flooding the courts with people who had no documents…
October 26, 2026 at 2:46 AM
3) It established expedited removal, giving certain immigration officers the power to summarily deport immigrants without the benefit of the courts. The original intent of this under the IIRIRA was to avoid flooding the courts with people who had no documents…
Bill Clinton claimed this law would strengthen our existing immigration and asylum laws without harming the rest of us. Which, of course, is horseshit. The IIRIRA led directly to this, to militarizing the physical land borders, to the raids and sweeps that were common under W. and Obama…
October 26, 2026 at 2:46 AM
Bill Clinton claimed this law would strengthen our existing immigration and asylum laws without harming the rest of us. Which, of course, is horseshit. The IIRIRA led directly to this, to militarizing the physical land borders, to the raids and sweeps that were common under W. and Obama…