The unjust deportation of Cambodian refugees A policy that made possible the deportation of refugees back home has already affected 1,400 Cambodians. Following the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, noncitizens of the United States who have been convicted of certain crimes are targeted for deportation. The U.S. Committee for Refugees says this tough law has made it easy for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. government agency that enforces our immigration laws, to detain and deport legal immigrants who have committed crimes. Since 1996, the INS has been required to detain and deport any immigrant convicted of an "aggravated crime," which includes crimes such as driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, minor assaults, shoplifting, theft and even writing a bad check. Any convicted Cambodian can be detained in the INS for up to 6 months by law. Although they have already served time for these past convictions, Cambodian immigrants still face possible deportation as part of their punishment.. ...