American Jewish Committee Applauds High Court Decision in Immigrants Rights Case

American Jewish Committee
Tuesday, 26 June 2001

The American Jewish Committee today applauded the Supreme Court's ruling in Immigration and Natualirzation Service v. St. Cyr, in which the Court held that immigrants who pleaded guilty to crimes before the 1996 immigration reform laws went into effect retain the right to seek a waiver of deportation from the U.S. Attorney General.

"Most significant was the Court's pronouncement that immigrants deportable under the 1996 laws may seek relief in the federal courts," said the AJC. "Access to the courts is a hallmark of our democratic society, and in this case the Supreme Court played its appropriate role as guardian of individual rights."

The 1996 laws, the harsh impact of which AJC has denounced, extinguished the Attorney General's discretion to cancel the deportation of a legal immigrant convicted of certain criminal offenses. The INS sought to apply the new laws to immigrants who had pleaded guilty prior to their enactment. AJC is deeply gratified that the Supreme Court recognized the inherent unfairness of "changing the rules in the middle of the game."

AJC joined in an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court urging that lawful permanent residents not be deprived of arguing the compelling equities against their deportation, especially when the law upon which they relied in deciding to plead guilty has been subsequently and significantly altered.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org