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The American Immigration System: A Structural Change with a Different Emphasis
* B.A., M.A. American University, J.D., New York Law School
When the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was disbanded in 2003 many of its components were absorbed into the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS). One of these new entities, called US Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS), now has the formidable task of processing and keeping track of all the applicants for entry into the United States. Its goal is to serve the immigrant community effectively, efficiently, and fairly, while avoiding the problems and deserved criticisms of its predecessor organization. USCIS is expected to achieve this goal under the administrative authority of DHS that has goals that may not be compatible. The primary mission of DHS is to fight terrorism, and providing good service to clients may be incidental. In this reorganization many members of the immigrant community fear they are viewed as potential terrorists. That it also has responsibility for refugee applicants raises the issue of the blurring of immigration and asylum — the former is about control whereas the latter should be focused on protection. The possible effects of these organizational changes on immigrants, refugees, and the nation are reviewed in this paper.
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