Congress restricts federal court review in immigration and criminal cases

President Bill Clinton signs the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act on April 24, 1996. The law limits federal habeas review and changes immigration consequences for criminal convictions. Although framed around terrorism and crime, the law affects people in criminal and immigration systems that disproportionately involve Black, Latino, Muslim, and immigrant communities. It also makes it harder for many prisoners to challenge convictions in federal court. Procedural restrictions can deepen racial disparities when the underlying criminal and immigration systems are unequal.