The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the Department of Justice from 1933 to 2003. The agency ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003. This is when most of its responsibilities were transferred to three new agencies. These were the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). All were within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as part of a major government reorganization following the September 11 attacks of 2001.
Immigration and Naturalization Service
Questions and Answers
Q: What was the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service?
A: The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the Department of Justice from 1933 to 2003.
Q: When did the agency stop existing under the name INS?
A: The agency stopped existing under the name INS on March 1, 2003.
Q: What happened to the INS's responsibilities after it stopped existing under that name?
A: Most of INS's responsibilities were transferred to three new agencies. These were the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Q: What was the reason for the reorganization of the government that led to the creation of the new agencies?
A: The reorganization of the government that led to the creation of the new agencies was a response to the September 11 attacks of 2001.
Q: Which department were the new agencies created in?
A: The new agencies were created within the newly created Department of Homeland Security.
Q: When did the INS come into existence?
A: The INS came into existence in 1933.
Q: What were the main duties of the INS?
A: The main duties of the INS were to enforce and administer U.S. immigration laws, process applications for immigration benefits, and investigate and prosecute immigration-related offenses.