Four of Congress’ Republican leaders on immigration issues have publicly backed calls to abolish the Immigration and Naturalization Service. They include House members Lamar Smith, chair of the Immigration Subcommittee and Harold Rogers, chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds the INS. On the Senate side, Immigration Subcommittee chair Spencer Abraham and Judd Gregg, who heads the subcommittee responsible for funding the INS both also back splitting up the INS.
The drive to end the INS as we know it was previously given momentum by the release of the US Commission on Immigration Reform’s final report recommending the end of the century old agency. And now a several bills are being drawn up that would transfer all responsibilities of the INS to other agencies.
The Commission on Immigration Reform’s plan would transfer border enforcement and deportations to the Department of Justice. Adjudication of immigration and naturalization petitions would be handled by the Department of State. And the Labor Department would take more responsibility for enforcing rules on employing foreign workers.
Several Democrats have also backed a reorganization or ending of the INS. Former US Border Patrol El Paso Chief Silvestre Reyes, a Democrat from Texas, is backing a bill that would allow the INS to continue adjudicating visa petitions and move enforcement responsibilities to other agencies.
INS Commissioner Doris Meissner, Attorney General Janet Reno and President Clinton have all spoken out against making any changes. The INS is seeking the chance to prove that reforms it has recently instituted and plan to carry out in the future can meet Congress’ expectations.
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