Immigration



Immigration

It has often been said that the U.S. is a land of immigrants; indeed, immigration has long been considered an important part of American culture. For most immigrants, their primary contact with the U.S. government is through the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Last year, nearly one million new immigrants enter the U.S. legally, adding to the millions already in the country who need INS services. Moreover, hundreds of thousands of illegal foreigners also cross the nation's borders annually, stretching the agency's resources even thinner.

The Immigration Act of 1891 established an Office of the Superintendent of Immigration to process all of ...