Executive Summary Executive Summary

The President’s Fiscal 2001 Immigration Budget 

2/07/00 

Strengthening the Nation’s Immigration System 

The Fiscal Year 2001 budget request for the Immigration and Naturalization 

Service (INS) totals $4.8 billion, an 11-percent increase over FY 2000. With this budget, 

the Administration will have increased INS funding by 219 percent since FY 1993. The 

FY 2001 budget includes $523.2 million in new initiatives. The budget will add a total 

of 1,305 new positions, allowing INS to grow to 33,122 positions by the end of FY 2001. 

The FY 2001 budget supports the immigration goals and strategies that the 

Administration and the agency have pursued effectively over the past several years. 

These include improving customer service, facilitating legal immigration while 

deterring illegal immigration, and removing criminal and other illegal aliens from the 

United States. 

The budget allows INS to build on its successful efforts to bring integrity and 

safety to the borders and improve the quality of life in border communities. It also 

enhances the agency’s ability to remove those who are living and working in the 

country illegally. 

In addition to strengthening enforcement, the FY 2001 budget intensifies INS’ 

focus on service. For the first time, the budget calls for a fund to address ongoing 

infrastructure needs that are not currently covered by application fees. This Capital 

Investment Account would be used solely to fund immigration services and benefits. 

Key initiatives in the FY 2001 budget include: 

• Creating an Immigration Services Capital Investment Account (ISCIA) to be used to 

fund infrastructure improvements, systems upgrades, and to address immigration 

benefit backlogs. This marks the first time INS would have a dedicated fund, 

separate from the Examinations Fee Account (which is funded solely through 

application fees) that draws on other funding sources to pay for key service-related 

initiatives. INS is anticipating $127.3 million in the ISCIA, funded from $34.8 

million in direct appropriations and the balance from portions of two proposed new 

fees, a Premium Service Fee for businesses and fees from the re-authorization of a 

permanent 245(i) adjustment-of-status program. 

• Proposing a voluntary Premium Service Fee of $1,000 for business-related 

applications, which will provide businesses with guaranteed processing within 15 

days. Fees received above the cost of the guaranteed processing time for the 

applications and deterring benefit fraud will be deposited in the ISCIA to support 

service-related infrastructure improvements, benefiting all INS customers. 

• Strengthening the multi-year border enforcement effort by providing a $52 million 

increase to the Border Patrol. This will fund 430 additional Border Patrol Agents, 

increasing staff to more than double the FY 1993 level. 

Prepared by the Office of Public Affairs • Immigration & Naturalization Service • (202) 514-2648 
FY 2001 INS Budget – Executive Summary 

Page 2 

• Providing $69.8 million to support pay reform and position upgrades for Border 

Patrol Agents and Immigration Inspectors, which will help recruit and retain these 

mission-critical personnel in a tight labor market. 

• Continuing to expand critical technology efforts by deploying Remote Video 

Surveillance Systems along the borders to monitor illegal activity from remote sites. 

• Focusing on facilitating legal immigration while deterring illegal immigration, by 

funding an additional 115 land border Immigration Inspectors and 154 airport 

Immigration Inspectors. 

• Strengthening efforts to identify and remove criminal aliens by increasing and 

improving detention bed space. The budget requests $78.9 million to fund a daily 

average of 1,000 new state and local detention bed spaces. INS will also expand its 

ability to enter information into the National Crime Information Center database, 

allowing nationwide computerized identification and apprehension of previously 

deported criminals. 

• Responding to INS’ growing infrastructure requirements by providing $77 million 

for the construction of Border Patrol and detention facilities. 

• Ensuring the professionalism of the workforce by dedicating $10.1 million to 

improve personnel management and accountability and to increase support staff. 

Summary of Immigration Budget Enhancements 

($ in millions) 

BORDER MANAGEMENT 

Border Enforcement - Border Patrol Agents

Border Facilitation - Inspectors (Air and Land)

Border Patrol Pay Reform

Inspections Pay Upgrades

Border Enforcement - Technology

SUBTOTAL 

DETENTION AND REMOVAL 

State and Local Detention Bed Space

Detention Standards

Juvenile Detention Bed Space

National Transportation System

National Crime Information Center

SUBTOTAL 

INSTITUTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE 

Border Patrol Construction Projects

Detention Construction Projects

Border Infrastructure

Repair and Alterations

SUBTOTAL 

Funding Positions 

$52.0 430 

22.4 269 

40.9 – 

28.9 – 

20.0 – 

$164.2 699 

$78.9 109 

8.6 80 

8.5 11 

15.5 0 

8.0 50 

$119.5 250 

$47.0 – 

24.8 – 

3.3 – 

2.0 21 

$77.1 21 
FY 2001 INS Budget – Executive Summary 

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IMMIGRATION SERVICES 

Improving Services and Preventing Benefit Fraud $25.0 195 

Immigration Services Capital Investment Account 127.3 – 

SUBTOTAL $152.3 195 

PROFESSIONALISM AND INFRASTRUCTURE 

Financial and Debt Management Services $3.3 60 

Administrative Center Staffing 2.0 30 

Legal Proceedings Base Shortfall 4.8 50 

SUBTOTAL 10.1 140 

TOTAL INCREASE REQUESTED $523.2 1,305