the INS
/ði ˌaɪ en ˈes/
/ði ˌaɪ en ˈes/
the Immigration and Naturalization Service
- an organization that was part of the US Department of Justice. It was in charge of laws concerning people from other countries who want to move to the US (the process of immigration) and those who then want to become US citizens (naturalization). In 2003 its work was taken over by new government departments, including US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security.
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the INS