USCIS premieres video highlighting historic connections to Ellis Island
Video: USCIS and the Legacy of Ellis Island
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today released a new documentary video, “USCIS and the Legacy of Ellis Island.” From 1892 to 1954, federal immigration employees processed more than twelve million immigrants at the Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York Harbor.
The video tells the story of Ellis Island from the perspective of those who worked there, highlighting the historical connections between our agency’s mission to administer lawful immigration to the U.S. and this iconic port of entry in New York.
“USCIS and its predecessor agencies hold a distinct place in American history because of their important role in admitting immigrants into the fabric of our nation,” USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna said to employees at the premiere. “As employees, we all have an essential duty to honor and preserve that legacy and to ensure it lives on in the work we do today and in the future.”
The video consists of three chronological thematic chapters:
Chapter One: Creating Ellis Island: Introduces the audience to the origins of the federal immigration service, Ellis Island and its role in our agency’s early history.
Chapter Two: Working on the Island: Explores the often overlooked roles of Ellis Island’s employees and their importance to the operation of the nation’s busiest immigration station.
Chapter Three: Remembering Ellis Island: Examines the closing of Ellis Island, discusses its historical legacy, and emphasizes its lasting connection to USCIS.
The result of extensive historical research, USCIS produced the video with the support of the National Park Service, who provided access to Ellis Island’s historic collections and enabled filming on-location at Ellis Island.
KJ