The rise and fall of the agency that once managed all American immigration

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For seventy years, the Immigration and Naturalization Service served as the primary gatekeeper for the United States. It handled everything from green card applications to border enforcement and wartime internment. In 2003, the agency was dismantled, its vast responsibilities split among three new departments to reshape national security.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was officially formed on June 10, 1933, through the merger of two separate federal offices: the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Naturalization. While the federal government had asserted control over immigration as early as 1891, the INS spent most of its existence under the Department of Labor before President Franklin Roosevelt transferred it to the Department of Justice in 1940. This move was driven by a desire for tighter control over foreign nationals as the country approached World War II.

The agency's wartime role was significant and controversial. Immediately following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the INS executed plans to detain enemy aliens. By December 10, 1941, the agency held over 2,200 individuals of Japanese, German, and Italian descent. These detainees were often held without formal charges or legal counsel. Throughout the war, the INS oversaw the internment of an estimated 31,800 people, including Latin Americans of Japanese, German, and Italian ancestry who were deported to the United States.

By the late 20th century, the INS had become a massive, complex organization with four main divisions managing everything from field operations to policy planning. It oversaw 33 districts, 21 border areas, and 16 international offices. However, the September 11, 2001, attacks triggered a major government reorganization. On March 1, 2003, the INS ceased to exist. Its functions were divided into three new entities within the Department of Homeland Security: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for benefits, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for border security.

The legacy of the INS remains a fixture in American culture, frequently depicted in film and literature. While the agency is gone, its former responsibilities—adjudicating naturalization, managing permanent residency, and enforcing immigration law—continue under the current Department of Homeland Security framework. The transition marked a fundamental shift in how the United States balances administrative immigration services with national security priorities.

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