Invasion of the Identity Snatchers

[controlledImmigration]

Exclusive: Invasion of the Identity Snatchers: Immigration Benefit Fraud and the USCIS
Michael Cutler

Author: Mike Cutler
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: August 27, 2007

One would think that after 9/11, the agency entrusted with admitting aliens to the U.S. would process their applications with a fine tooth comb. FSM Contributing Editor Michael Cutler has the unfortunate and outrageous news that this is not necessarily the case.

Invasion of the Identity Snatchers:

Immigration Benefit Fraud and the USCIS

By Michael Cutler

For a long time, I’ve hammered on the issues that relate to the processes by which aliens are able to acquire resident alien status and United States citizenship. I’ve contended that no matter what we do on our nation's borders, if there is no integrity to the immigration benefits program, them we are doing little more than spinning our wheels by focusing on the borders.

Securing our nation's borders is the equivalent of a homeowner purchasing and installing secure locks and doors to prevent burglars from breaking into his house, then hiding his key to the front door under the mat! You would probably question the homeowner’s intelligence, not to mention his sanity! Once a burglar has the key, he has unfettered access to the house regardless how strong the doors and locks are.

With all of the talk about the situation on the Mexican border, few politicians discuss interior enforcement of the immigration laws. Even those who do fail to address a major issue: immigration benefit fraud.

Former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., issued a press release on March 10, 2006 about the findings of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in investigating this critical vulnerability at Chairman Sensenbrenner's behest.

Among the many disturbing findings noted in the press release is that of the terrorists identified as operating in our country before the attacks of 9/11, two-thirds of them used immigration benefit fraud. They did this to either enter the United States or to embed themselves in our country after they arrived.

Additionally, Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) requested an investigation into the loss of immigration files at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is the division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that adjudicates applications filed by aliens to accord them a wide variety of immigration benefits – including the conferring of resident alien status and United States citizenship. The senators had received information that UCIS lost some 111,000 files, including 30,000 files of aliens seeking to naturalize. As unbelievable as it may seem, USCIS went ahead and adjudicated those 111,000 applications. This includes those for the "keys to the kingdom": United States citizenship and, undoubtedly other applications for resident alien status…all without providing the crucial immigration alien files to the adjudicators

USCIS has been fixated on keeping up with the backlog of applications for various immigration benefits, and there have been published reports about USCIS employees who have been given all sorts of awards for moving applications quickly – including spending significant amounts of money on parties to encourage them to work even faster! I’ve previously compared this climate to the “I Love Lucyâ€

[Nouveauxpoor]

We read these stories by the dozens written by people who grasp the situation, articulate the flaws in the system, and propose a plausible remedy. How in the world were we able to elect such a bunch of incompetent, unknowing, uncaring, conspiratorial, and unpatriotic people to run our government? Please voters, be prepared to make a change, and make a difference, at your next election.