United States

Homeland Security Dept. Proposal Moves Forward

The U.S. House passed a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bill in July 2002 moving only the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) enforcement arm to the new agency; the Senate version would transfer the entire INS and elevate it to its own directorate.

Immigrants and Welfare Reform: Glossary

A glossary of key terms for U.S. noncitizen welfare eligibility under the 1996 welfare reform law.

Bush Proposal Lumps INS into Homeland Security Dept.

President George W. Bush proposed merging the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) into a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in June 2002.

Converging Realities of the U.S.-Mexico Relationship

U.S.-Mexico migration talks stalled after September 11; a grand bargain on regularization, a guest worker program, and border security remained the framework for resumption.

Defining 'Foreign Born' and 'Foreigner' in International Migration Statistics

Because citizenship models vary, statistics for the “foreign born” and “foreigners” capture different groups.

Reconcilable Differences? An Evaluation of Current INS Restructuring Proposals

Fixing the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) requires more than reorganization—it demands a single, independent agency with clear authority and unified policy.

Authority of State and Local Officers to Arrest Aliens Suspected of Civil Infractions of Federal Immigration Law

Gov't Mulls Revamping INS, Shortening Visas

In spring 2002, the U.S. Congress debated replacing the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), proposed shortening tourist visas to 30 days, and President George W. Bush signed a new border security law.

New Estimates of the Undocumented Population in the United States

The 2000 U.S. Census pushed estimates of the unauthorized population in the United States to 8.5 million.

Immigrant Women in the United States in 2000

In 2000, immigrant women in the United States tended to be older and more likely to be citizens than foreign-born men, but had higher poverty rates and lower labor force participation.