The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
of 1996 (IIRAIRA) represents an effort by Congress to strengthen
and streamline U.S. immigration laws. The Act was designed to
improve border control by imposing criminal penalties for
racketeering, alien smuggling and the use or creation of
fraudulent immigration-related documents and increasing interior
enforcement by agencies charged with monitoring visa
applications and visa abusers. Employment eligibility
verification guidelines are also incorporated into the Act,
including sanctions for employers who fail to comply with the
regulations and restrictions on unfair immigration-related
employment practices, as well as provisions governing the
dispersment of governement aid to aliens. Definition from Nolo’s
Plain-English Law Dictionary An anti-illegal immigration bill
amending the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), IIRIRA
covered everything from border control to penalties on
immigrants and employers who violate the immigration laws to
allow