Subject to the amounts provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the Attorney General shall reimburse a State for the costs incurred by the State for the imprisonment of any illegal alien or Cuban national who is convicted of a felony by such State.

An illegal alien referred to in subsection (a) is any alien who is any alien convicted of a felony who is in the United States unlawfully and—

(1) whose most recent entry into the United States was without inspection, or

whose most recent admission to the United States was as a nonimmigrant and—

(A) whose period of authorized stay as a nonimmigrant expired, or

(B) whose unlawful status was known to the Government,

A Marielito Cuban convicted of a felony referred to in subsection (a) is a national of Cuba who—

(1) was allowed by the Attorney General to come to the United States in 1980,

(2) after such arrival committed any violation of State or local law for which a term of imprisonment was imposed, and

at the time of such arrival and at the time of such violation was not an alien lawfully admitted to the United States—

(A) for permanent or temporary residence, or

(B) under the terms of an immigrant visa or a nonimmigrant visa issued,

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

The term “State” has the meaning given such term in section 1101(a)(36) of this title.

(Pub. L. 99–603, title V, § 501, Nov. 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 3443.)