Fine Gael has called for the US Ambassador to appear before an Oireachtas committee in an effort to address the plight of Irish people illegally resident in the United States.
Figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs showed 60 Irish nationals were deported from the US so far this year, with 69 thrown out the year before. An estimated 50,000 undocumented Irish citizens remain in the US.
"Their plight is especially poignant at this time of year as they find themselves unable to travel home, even for family funerals, and are also increasingly subject to blackmail due to their illegal status."
Mr Allen is especially concerned at the manner in which some Irish citizens have been detained and deported from the United States.
While respecting the right of the US administration to set its own immigration policies, he described the practice of detaining Irish citizens alongside convicted criminals prior to deportation as "excessive".
He has called for the US Ambassador to Ireland, Mr James C Kenny, be invited to appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs as soon as possible.
Mr Allen added: "As friendly and co-operative countries bound by history, genealogy and trade, Ireland and the United States should be able to agree a more reasonable and respectful approach to the deportation of Irish citizens who may have overstayed the terms of their visa."
Although they may have been resident in the US for many years, these Irish citizens are in a legal limbo, Fine Gael's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Bernard Allen said today.