James Ziglar Confirmed as INS Commissioner
Posted Aug 10, 2001

The U.S. Senate has confirmed James T. Ziglar as the new Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). In a news release issued on August 1, 2001, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) expressed optimism about working with Mr. Ziglar to bring about improvements at INS. Ziglar made several pro-immigration statements at his confirmation hearing, declaring that immigrants "refresh and, in fact, embody the American spirit."

Ziglar's goals as INS Commissioner, as described at his hearing, are that INS :

• treat everyone with dignity and respect;

• process applications efficiently;

• change its internal culture to reenergize the agency; and

• be restructured in a rational manner.

AILA offered its "encouragement and assistance" to Commissioner Ziglar in support of those worthy goals.