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Glossary of Immigration and
Naturalization Terms
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Departure Under Safeguards: The
departure of an illegal alien from the United
States which is physically observed by a U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
official.
Deportable Alien: An alien in and
admitted to the United States subject to any
grounds of removal specified in the Immigration
and Nationality Act. This includes any alien
illegally in the United States, regardless of
whether the alien entered the country by fraud
or misrepresentation or entered legally but
subsequently violated the terms of his or her
nonimmigrant classification or status.
Deportation: The formal removal of an
alien from the United States when the alien has
been found removable for violating the
immigration laws. Deportation is ordered by an
immigration judge without any punishment being
imposed or contemplated. Prior to April 1997
deportation and exclusion were separate removal
procedures. The Illegal Immigration Reform and
Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996
consolidated these procedures. After April 1,
1997, aliens in and admitted to the United
States may be subject to removal based on
deportability. Now called Removal, this function
is managed by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement.
Derivative Citizenship: Citizenship
conveyed to children through the naturalization
of parents or, under certain circumstances, to
foreign-born children adopted by U.S. citizen
parents, provided certain conditions are met.
District: Geographic areas into which
the United States and its territories are
divided for the Immigration and Naturalization
Service’s field operations or one of three
overseas offices located in Rome, Bangkok, and
Mexico City. Each District Office, headed by a
District Director, has a specified service area
that may include part of a state, an entire
state, or many states. District Offices are
where most USCIS field staff are located.
District Offices are responsible for providing
certain immigration services and benefits to
people resident in their service area, and for
enforcing immigration laws in that jurisdiction.
Certain applications are filed directly with
District Offices, many kinds of interviews are
conducted at these Offices, and USCIS staff is
available to answer questions, provide forms,
etc.
Diversity: A category of immigrants
replacing the earlier categories for nationals
of under-represented countries and countries
adversely "affected" by the Immigration and
Nationality Act Amendments of 1965. The annual
limit on diversity immigration was 40,000 during
fiscal years 1992-94, under a transitional
diversity program, and 55,000 beginning in
fiscal year 1995, under a permanent diversity
program.
Docket Control: The USCIS mechanism for
tracking the case status of potentially
removable aliens. | 
