Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)

From 1933 to 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was the agency of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for enforcing immigration laws, administering immigration benefits, and, in conjunction with the Department of State, admitting and resettling refugees.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the investigative arm of the Border and Transportation Security Directorate (BTS), and it operates under the jurisdiction of the DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS).

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Ellis Island

The Ellis Island immigration station, located in New York harbor, was the entry point for three-quarters of American immigrants between its opening in 1892 and the implementation of the restrictive Johnson-Reed Act of 1924.

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Department of Manpower and Immigration

The Department of Manpower and Immigration, created by the Government Organization Act of 1966, was the branch of the Canadian government responsible for administering immigration policies between 1966 and 1994.

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Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Established by the Homeland Security Act (2002), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was the administrative response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Customs and Border Protection is the federal agency within the Border and Transportation Security Directorate (BTS) responsible for law enforcement and inspections along U.S. borders.

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U.S. Coast Guard

The Coast Guard is the part of the U.S. Armed Forces responsible for enforcing maritime laws, search-and-rescue operations at sea, interdictment of drugs and illegal aliens, protection of the marine environment, and protection of maritime borders.

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Census and immigration

The United States and Canada each conduct a national census every 10 years for the purpose of gaining reliable statistics on their evolving populations.

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Castle Garden

Castle Garden was the first formal immigrant depot of the United States, operating from 1855 until 1892 at the southern tip of New York’s Manhattan Island.

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U.S. Border Patrol

The U.S. Border Patrol is the uniformed enforcement arm of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, in the DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

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Angel Island

Angel Island, sometimes called “the Ellis Island of the West,” was the site of the Immigration Detention Center in San Francisco Bay, about two miles east of Sausalito.

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the agency within the DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS) responsible for providing services to immigrants and nonimmigrant visitors, including immigration admission...

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