Immiˌgration and ˌNaturaliˈzation ˌService, the BrE AmE ( also the INS )
a former US government organization which dealt with ↑ immigration , making sure that people from other countries obeyed official rules about who is allowed to live or work in the US. It also had the power to decide whether these people could become US citizens. The organization was shut down in 2003 and its responsibilities were divided between different parts of the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).