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The entry of legal immigrants and visitors into the U.S. is facilitated by inspectors and agents working for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The INS is also responsible for the detainment and deportation of individuals who attempt to come into the country illegally. The INS task force includes immigration agents and inspectors, border patrol agents, criminal investigators, and deportation and detention officers. Immigration inspectors inspect passports, and interview and assess people who are seeking entry into the U.S. and its territories. It is their primary duty to determine whether or not those seeking admission are legally eligible to enter the United States. Immigration inspectors also maintain records, prepare reports, and process applications and petitions for temporary residency or immigration into the United States. Border Patrol agents oversee the country's boundaries. Over 8,000 miles of international land and water boundaries are protected by U.S. Border Patrol agents. The mission of these agents is to prevent and identify the unauthorized entry of undocumented foreign nationals into the U.S., to apprehend the violators they discover, and to stop the admission of illegal imports and smuggled goods such as narcotics.
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