The INS: Too Much to Do

The long-running national Commission on Immigration Reform, which has done an admirable job in bringing rational discourse to a complex and intense issue, has come up with another recommendation that makes a lot of sense. It proposes breaking up the Immigration and Naturalization Service and dispersing its often contradictory tasks to other government agencies. Although we differ on some details, this newspaper has made similar arguments for years.

Throughout its long and controversial history, the INS has been one of the most ineffective and unpopular bureaucracies in the federal government. In fairness, it has not been solely to blame for that predicament. Until recent years Congress was notoriously stingy in supporting it, making the INS a stepchild of the Justice Department.

Additionally, the INS’ twin missions--controlling the national borders while addressing the needs of millions of visitors, immigrants and would-be immigrants--are often in conflict. Even under the solid and intelligent administration of Commissioner Doris Meissner, the INS has been bedeviled by seemingly constant problems. While the border is less porous than it once was, the naturalization process is still too slow and often erratically administered.

Under a proposal being prepared by the immigration advisory panel, now chaired by Shirley Hufstedler of Los Angeles, a former federal judge, the INS’ duties would be divided among other federal agencies. The Justice Department would retain responsibility for controlling the border and removing immigrants who entered illegally. The State Department would handle immigration services and citizenship. And the Labor Department would oversee the employment of foreign workers. That may not be quite the right redistribution of duties, but the thrust of the proposal is eminently sensible.

Dismantling the INS bureaucracy would require the approval of Congress and involve a massive shift of federal resources and responsibilities. But as this country’s native-born population level stabilizes, a greater percentage of its population growth will come from immigration. Rethinking the nation’s immigration agencies and streamlining their procedures to best manage the shift would be worth the trouble.