 Although the New York City Police Department (NYPD) does not check immigration status when illegal immigrants seek medical attention or education services, it does check the immigration status of anyone who commits a crime.In October 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (ICRA), which authorized legalization for illegal immigrants who could prove they had resided in the U.S. continually, although without appropriate documentation, since January 1, 1982.Mayor Bloomberg explained, “Our general policy in this area protects the confidentiality of law-abiding immigrants, regardless of their status, when they report a crime or visit a hospital or send their children to school”.