Immigration and Naturalization Service Commission Doris Meissner presented her annual address at the American Immigration Lawyers Association meeting in late June. Commissioner Meissner opened her remarks with the candid admission that "the INS has not had a culture emphasizing service" but noted that the agency is committed to change. Meissner addressed most of her remarks to the growing backlog of applications around the country. She noted the agency has a difficult challenge since the INS was not designed for the high level of traffic it is now seeing.

Meissner reported an increase in naturalization applications of over 300% between Fiscal Years 1994 and 1997. Total applications received by the INS increased 60% during that period.

Meissner is banking on the transfer of responsibilities to modern, remote service centers to solve many of the agency's service problems. She also listed three major goals for the agency:

1. establish high, consistent nationwide standards

2. maximize efficiency and improve access to information and convenience for customers

3. have a better trained workforce that focuses on advancement trhough service and not enforcement

The latter goal has been at the heart of much of the recent criticism of the agency. AILA has been pushing for a formal separation of the agency's enforcement and adjudication arms and the Commissioner appears to agree. She called on the formal separation of service and enforcement from top to bottom and to establish two distinct career paths.

Meissner announced several important infrastructure initiatives including improving the agency's computer capabilities. Meissner noted that in the last five years, the number of INS employees with computers increased from 35% to 90%. Meissner is also hoping to reduce the agency's reliance on paper case files. The INS now has more than 25 million files in 80 offices. The agency hopes to use computers to centralize records and convert every application to a database.

Meissner also reported that the transition to using INS Application Service Centers is going more smoothly than many are reporting. She cited a poll granting a 93% excellent rating for courtesy and helpfulness. The survey also showed that 90% of applicants completed fingerprint processing in less than one hour.

Meissner did report, however, that the INS has a serious lack of space. She estimated that local INS offices need at least 33% more space. And with expected increases in INS staff, the problem could grow worse.

Meissner criticized Congress for failing to fund the service side of the agency. More than 4 out of every 5 new dollars are being allocated for enforcement efforts. Meissner claims that INS fees are inadequate to cover costs and that the INS' recently proposed fee increase is crucial to reducing backlogs. But Meissner repeated an earlier pledge that the fee increase will not be implemented until the following four key milestones are met and a fee waiver policy is implemented:

1. 100 Application Service Centers are operational (this goal has been met)

2. Most applications are filed directly with the INS service centers rather than locally (this goal has largely been met)

3. The CLAIMS4 software has been implemented in all regional service centers (this goal has been met)

4. The backlogs in application have been reduced

The last goal is obviously the one that has been difficult to realize. But Meissner pledges to increase staff, increase overtime pay and put backlog coordinators in the four largest cities. Meissner pointed to the LA INS office, however, as a major success story. That office, where more than 25% of the naturalization application resides, has seen a 400% increase in the pace of processing citizenship applications since December of last year and the speed is expected to double by September.

Meissner repeated an earlier pledge to get the processing times for naturalization applications down to six months.
Meissner did point out that some agency improvements can be achieved without spending a dime. First and foremost, the agency can reduce the distressing levels of rudeness exhibited to members of the public. Meissner pledged to "recommit the agency in the way it deals with its customers." Meissner is planning on launching a major new customer service training initiative this fall.