Even before September 11th, the INS had a poor track record when it came to screening applicants of questionable backgrounds. There has been a belief at the INS that it was the State Department or the FBI’s responsibility, and not theirs, to monitor terrorists trying to get into our country. 

As a result of this mistaken belief, Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman, head of the Egyptian Al Gamat Al Islamiya was allowed into the country – and was subsequently convicted of leading a plot to bomb landmarks and bridges in New York. Other terrorists, including those associated with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which calls for attacks on American targets and for suicide bombings, were allowed to receive green cards or U.S. citizenship. 

The INS has too broad of a mission, and they have proven time and time again that they are unable to handle the dual, and oftentimes conflicting, roles of service and enforcement. Our bipartisan legislation, the Barbara Jordan Immigration Reform and Accountability Act, abolishes the INS and creates two new agencies, the bureaus of Citizenship and Immigration Services, and of Immigration Enforcement. This much-needed reform will enhance our national security, while making immigration a more family-friendly process. With each agency having a singular mission, our borders will be safer, and those who have overstayed their visas will not be allowed to remain in our country.

The bill emphasizes and reinforces the idea of citizenship at the INS. When individuals and families choose to immigrate to our country, they choose to assimilate into our society. They learn to speak English, learn our history and values and share our principles. Being a citizen of the United States is a privilege, one coveted throughout the world. The INS should enthusiastically greet those who seek to become citizens, and in turn they will be enthusiastic in learning what it means to be an American.

For too long the INS has been in a state of disarray. Numerous attempts at restructuring the agency have failed. The INS currently has a backlog of some 5 million applications, and it estimates that it has lost track of more than 314,000 aliens ordered to be deported, but still in the country. By abolishing the current INS and establishing the bureaus of Citizenship and Immigration Services, and of Immigration Enforcement, we are helping protect our country from the threat of terrorism, while helping those who want to enter our country legally to become law-abiding citizens.