Homeland Security—Immigration Agencies

www.dhs.gov

Overview

The creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) led to the greatest reorganization of the federal government in nearly fifty years in an effort to improve national security by bringing different federal agencies under the same roof.   One of the casualties of this re-structuring was the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which disappeared into the trash-heap of federal acronyms.  Yet, like the phoenix it has reemerged as three new agencies that resulted from the separation of its bureaucratic and law enforcement roles. The end result may streamline the security process for the federal government, but it's going to be tough for the general population to learn three new acronyms: the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS), the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE), and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (BCBP).

BCIS -- Immigration Benefits & Documents

The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services grants foreigners permission to work and live here.  It focuses exclusively on the benefits services of the old INS, including the processing of citizenship applications, family and employment-based petitions, registration, and asylum and refugee processing.   It has launched an outreach campaign to reassure the public that the bureaucratic change will not affect the status of INS documents, offices and services during the ongoing transition.

BCBP -- Border Enforcement

At 40,000 strong, the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is the largest of the bunch and has taken over the border enforcement responsibilities of the INS.  It's what resulted from the merger of several law enforcement agencies that had the same job description, but were spread out over the federal bureaucratic map.  Now, the Customs Service, the Border Patrol, and USDA animal and agriculture inspectors will no longer just work in tandem, they'll really work together under one roof.

A great example for why these agencies were combined is to consider how air travelers would clear customs upon entering the United States.  This seemingly easy process was actually a three-tiered bureaucratic hurdle involving three federal agencies that reported to three separate bosses.   A passenger would first have his or her passport processed by an INS inspector, then move onto a Customs officer who'd search any luggage if necessary, and finally pass by a USDA Quarantine Inspector who'd look for smuggled fruit and foods.   Merged into BCBP, the three agencies now fall under the same bureaucratic umbrella and report to one boss.

BICE -- Interior Immigration Enforcement

The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be responsible for enforcement of customs and immigration laws.  As such, it will continue the “Migra” raids of yore by overseeing immigration investigations, and process detentions and removals.  This agency results from the merger (once again) of the Customs Service, INS Special Agents, INS Detention and Deportation Officers, and the Federal Protective Service.   BICE will continue Customs air and marine interdictions.

In effect, the Customs Service and INS were each separated into their internal and border regulation components and then reunited into BCBP and BICE so they could carry out their respective functions.

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