LEGISLATORS PRESENT BILLS TO REVAMP INS

H.R. 2680, the Immigration Restructuring and Accountability Act of 1999, introduced by Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) and co-sponsored by John Conyers (D-MI), Howard Berman (D-CA), Luiz Gutierrez (D-IL), and Martin Meehan (D-MA), proposes significant structural reform within the Immigration and Naturalization Service without the more drastic measure of dividing it into two separate bureaus.

Under this bill, the name of the INS would be changed to the National Immigration Bureau. Rather than split service and enforcement functions like some proposals, the new Bureau would contain the following offices: the Office of Immigration Adjudications, the Office of Immigration Enforcement, the Office of Prehearing Services, and the Office of Shared Services. The Office of Adjudications would be the service branch of the Bureau, and would also be in charge of matters related to refugee and asylum petitions. The Office of Immigration Enforcement would control the Border Patrol, and would be in charge of removal and investigations.

The Office of Prehearing Services would be in charge of detention issues. This would include detention of asylum seekers as well as criminal and noncriminal aliens. This Office would also be charged with finding alternatives to detention in appropriate cases.

The bill would also restore section 245(i), allowing certain immigrants who have fallen out of status to adjust in the U.S.

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