Memorandum on Delegation of Authority

Memorandum for the Attorney General

Subject: Delegation of Authority Under Sections 212(f) and 215(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended (8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a)(1)), and in light of Proclamation 4865 of September 29, 1981, I hereby delegate to the Attorney General the authority to:

(a) Maintain custody, at any location she deems appropriate, and conduct any screening she deems appropriate in her unreviewable discretion, of any undocumented person encountered in vessels interdicted on the high seas in the general area of the Northern Mariana Islands in 1999, including the stateless vessel located west of the Northern Mariana Islands and identified by United States authorities on or about April 12, 1999; and

(b) Undertake any other appropriate actions with respect to such aliens permitted by law.

This memorandum is not intended to create, and should not be construed to create, any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, legally enforceable by any party against the United States, its agencies or instrumentalities, officers, employees, or any other person, or to require any procedures to determine whether a person is a refugee.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

William J. Clinton