Clinton signs IIRIRA, whose Section 287(g) authorizes state immigration enforcement

President Clinton signed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act on September 30, 1996, adding Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act. The provision authorized the Immigration and Naturalization Service to enter formal agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to perform immigration enforcement functions. Congress included the provision to extend federal immigration enforcement capacity without creating new federal positions, establishing the first statutory framework for federal-state immigration enforcement partnerships.