Product Description
Congressional Research Service Report for Congress

.......The 108th Congress has considered and is considering legislation on a wide
range of immigration issues. Two of these issues — the transfer of immigration
authorities and expedited naturalization through military service — relate directly to
post-September 11, 2001 U.S. efforts to improve national security. In the aftermath
of the terrorist attacks, the 107th Congress established a new Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-
296). DHS was tasked with preventing terrorist attacks in the United States and
reducing the nation’s vulnerability to terrorism, among other responsibilities.
Effective March 1, 2003, P.L. 107-296 abolished the Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS) of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the agency which had
administered and enforced the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA),1 and
transferred most immigration-related functions to the newly created DHS. Lingering
questions remain, however, about the division of authorities between DOJ and DHS
in some areas. Pending legislation would amend the INA to explicitly transfer certain
authorities to DHS. Like the establishment of DHS, Operation Iraqi Freedom had a
goal of protecting U.S. national security. This operation prompted congressional
interest in legislation to expand the citizenship benefits of aliens serving in the
military. The 108th Congress has enacted a measure (P.L. 108-136) that amends
military naturalization and posthumous citizenship statutes and provides immigration
benefits for immediate relatives of U.S. citizen servicemembers who die as a result
of actual combat service.....

Congressional Research Service

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) serves shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. CRS experts assist at every stage of the legislative process — from the early considerations that precede bill drafting, through committee hearings and floor debate, to the oversight of enacted laws and various agency activities.

CRS's analytic capabilities integrate multiple disciplines and research methodologies. In a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, CRS provides Congress with the vital, analytical support it needs to address the most complex public policy issues facing the nation. Its work incorporates program and legislative expertise, quantitative methodologies, and legal and economic analysis.




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