Alan C. Nelson (1933-1997) was a Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) (February 22, 1982, to June 16, 1989) under the administration of then United States President Ronald Reagan, and co-author of the original proposal behind California Proposition 187 (passed November 1994).

[2] On September 23, 1981,[2] Nelson assumed the position of Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS), to which he was appointed by then United States Attorney General William French Smith.

[7] Reagan's choice of Nelson was welcomed by Michael G. Harpold, head of the National Immigration and Naturalization Service Council, the union representing INS workers.

Harpold noted that the nominee's close relationship with the White House (and specifically with Edwin Meese) would elevate the status of INS as an organization.

[11] The amnesty program was finally passed as part of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, that additionally imposed employer sanctions and enhanced border security.

As part of this, Nelson opened more than 100 new field offices to process amnesty requests, beefed up the United States Border Patrol, and began work on the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program intended to help government agencies deny benefits to aliens who were not eligible for them.

[8] The audit revealed a range of alleged problems around agency mismanagement, including 23,000 citizenship certificates lost by the regional agency in Miami (officials claimed all but 5% of the lost certificates were found), $1500 spent on an oil portrait of Nelson, and unclear accounting, management, and administrative practices.

[2] Deputy INS Commissioner James L. Buck was named acting head of the service, and Gene McNary was rumored to be the next nominee for the role.