American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee v. Reno

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

WILSON, District Judge.

I. Background

In June of 1987, plaintiffs Aiad Barakat and Naim Sharif applied for legalization under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, 8 U.S.C. § 1255a (“IRCA”). Legalization under IRCA is a two-step process. First, the Attorney General grants temporary resident status to any alien who establishes: (1) that he has maintained a continuous, unlawful residence in the United States from a date prior to January 1,1982; (2) that he is admissible as an immigrant; and (3) that he has not been convicted of a felony or more than two…