Brambila v. Board of Review

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

STEIN, J.

Under the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), two classes of aliens became eligible for permanent-resident status: “special agricultural workers”, 8 U.S.C.A. § 1160 (SAWs), and “certain entrants before January 1, 1982,” id. § 1255a (pre-1982 entrants). The question presented by this appeal is whether SAWs’ or pre-1982 entrants’ employment after IRCA’s effective date (November 6, 1986) can be included in the calculation of their eligibility for state unemployment-insurance benefits. The United States Department of Labor…