Ziglar’s Nomination as Commissioner of the INS

On July 31, 2001, James Ziglar’s nomination as the next Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service was confirmed by the Senate. Mr. Ziglar is due to report to the INS on August 2. Since 1998, Ziglar has been the Senate’s Sergeant at Arms. As such, he served as the Senate’s chief protocol and law enforcement officer. He was also responsible for providing administrative support to the senators. Given his background, it is not surprising that his appointment as Commissioner has received substantial bi-partisan support within the Senate. As a result, he is expected to be confirmed without significant challenge.

In his testimony before the Senate late last month, Ziglar stated his interest in solving many of the agency’s problems and noted his main goals as Commissioner: (1) to make sure that all who interact with the INS are treated with respect and dignity; (2) to decrease the length of time in which it currently takes someone who submits a petition to the agency to receive a response, irrespective of the outcome; (3) to re-energize the agency and change its culture; and (4) to re-organize INS in a more rational manner. He is hopeful this re-organization can be accomplished in efficiently at the administrative, rather than Congressional, level.