Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) of 1997
An Amnesty Bill enacted in 1997, called the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), provided relief to certain illegal aliens based largely on country of origin and date of arrival in the United States. Legal resident status was given to eligible Cubans, Nicaraguans, Guatemalans, and Salvadorans. The Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act also provided amnesty benefits to certain individuals from Eastern European countries including regions within the former Soviet bloc. Close to one million illegal aliens from the above mentioned countries were given amnesty because of NACARA.