American Notes

When Congress passed its landmark amnesty bill in 1986, it was considered a triumph for illegal aliens seeking to normalize their status. But the act contained limited provisions for individuals to appeal the handling of their cases by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Last week, by a 7-to-2 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the law did not bar broader legal challenges to INS policies and practices that are deemed unfair and illegal.

The decision came in a class action filed on behalf of several thousand Haitian farm workers in Florida. The suit attacked flawed INS procedures, including the failure to provide transcripts and Creole translators during amnesty interviews. The ruling is expected to benefit more than 100,000 other illegal aliens around the country whose representatives have been trying to haul the INS into court. Said victorious lawyer Ira Kurzban, echoing the view of other experts: "It's probably the most significant immigration case in the last quarter-century."