Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was a United States government agency that administered and enforced U.S. immigration laws from 1891 to 2003. The agency regulated the entrance of aliens (noncitizens) into the United States. It sought to prevent the illegal entry of aliens and to investigate and remove aliens who were in the country illegally. In addition, the INS worked to prevent people from bringing illegal drugs into the United States. The agency also provided various immigration benefits. It processed visa claims for temporary and permanent workers and for their immediate family members. The agency also determined the eligibility of aliens who wished to become U.S. citizens and presented those who were eligible to a federal or state court for naturalization. See Immigration ; Naturalization .
Congress created the INS in 1891 as part of the Department of Labor. The U.S. Border Patrol, a special enforcement agency within the INS, was established in 1924. The INS was transferred to the Department of Justice in 1940. The INS grew significantly in the 1990’s, when Congress increased funding for border enforcement and personnel.
Many people called for reform of the INS following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and on the Pentagon Building near Washington, D.C. Several of the terrorists responsible for the attacks were in the United States illegally or had broken the terms of their admittance. In 2002, Congress passed legislation to reorganize the federal government with an increased emphasis on the prevention of terrorism.
As part of the reorganization, the responsibilities of the INS were transferred to the newly created Department of Homeland Security. In 2003, those responsibilities were divided among three agencies within the department: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which oversees immigration services and applications; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which handles investigations and some enforcement duties; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees customs inspectors and the Border Patrol. See Homeland Security, Department of .
See also Alien ; Citizenship ; Citizenship and Immigration Services, United States ; Illegal immigration .
