Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act Signed Into Law

President Clinton signs IIRIRA, establishing the foundational framework for immigration detention policy. Section 235(b) mandates detention for arriving aliens without proper documents. Section 236(a) gives judges authority to determine detention necessity and set bond amounts. Section 236(c) creates the first categorical mandatory detention for aggravated felons. The law eliminates judicial discretion for this category and establishes the three-year lookback for conviction-based detention eligibility.