The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, commonly abbreviated as “INS,” was formerly a part of the Department of Homeland Security. On March 1, 2003, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service was officially disbanded. The duties formerly performed by the Immigration and Naturalization Service were delegated to newly created agencies. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, currently handles all immigration services and adjudications performed by the former Immigration and Naturalization Service. The former immigration enforcement responsibilities of the Immigration and Naturalization Service were transferred to several agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as well as the Federal Protective Service and the Federal Air Marshall Service.

The former aims of the Immigration and Naturalization Service were to protect and enforce the laws of naturalization and US citizenship as well as to secure the borders of the United States. The Immigration and Naturalization Service was formed in 1993, under President Roosevelt. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 was created. This Act called for the disbandment of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and for new, task-specific agencies to be created.

Immigration and Naturalization Services included:

• Process immigration petitions at offices and entry ports
• The former the Immigration and Naturalization Service maintained over 250 entry ports within the United States
• Patrol US borders
• Enforce immigration laws; deport illegal aliens